Spalletti: ‘Very difficult for Napoli to finish top four again’

Luciano Spalletti warns it will be “extremely difficult” for Napoli to finish in the top four of Serie A next season, even though the fans still hope for the Scudetto.

The Partenopei had been challenging for the Scudetto through much of this term, but fell away in the final months and ended up in third place, but still securing their Champions League spot with plenty of time to spare.

“Now everyone expects us to confirm that kind of path, but it won’t be easy,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia from his summer vacation spot, where he was wearing a quite spectacular outfit.

“It’s hardly new that the fans want the Scudetto, but it’s not easy. It will be extremely difficult for us to finish in the top four, because we won’t have a nine-point head start over Juventus, or the big gap with Roma and Lazio. If we do well like last year, we can try to fight with the top teams.

“We achieved great results, staying in the Champions League zone from start to finish. There were games where we could’ve done more, and those hurt.”

Napoli have lost Lorenzo Insigne as a free agent to Toronto FC and are also expected to lose Dries Mertens when his contract runs out on June 30.

There are question marks over Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabian Ruiz and Victor Osimhen going into the summer.

These latest comments will not help the growing tension at Napoli between fans and President Aurelio De Laurentiis, who they have accused of weakening the squad by letting top stars leave and working to lower the wage bill.

#comecalciotivesti (mito) pic.twitter.com/7IMkMXsSEu

— nonleggerlo (@nonleggerlo) June 17, 2022