He spoke exclusively to News.Superscommesse.it Massimo Rastelli. The coach and former career footballer has worn, among others, the shirts of Lucchese, Piacenza, Naples, Reggina, Como And Avellino. Among the experiences on the bench, however, it is worth mentioning the promotions obtained with the Juventus Stabia in Serie C1 in 2010, with Avellino in Serie B in 2013 and with Cagliari in Serie A in 2016. In this interview his opinion on a hypothetical future of Pegs on the bench of Naples and on the scudetto won byInter.
Napoli, eighth in the standings, risks not participating in the European cups: what do you think of the Azzurri debacle in the current season?
“Last year Napoli managed to perform beyond what was possible in all its elements, a unique chemistry was created. (…) In my opinion, the departure of Spalletti and that of Giuntoli towards Juve have had a significant impact on the negative performance of this season, even more than the farewell of individual players like Kim. (…)The initial obstacles frustrated the group even more, who then failed to find the right path again. With the changes on the bench the Azzurri tried to find the key to the problem, but that wasn’t the case. The fact that the team that won the scudetto last year risks not participating in the European cups is truly sensational. There is a huge difference between the past year and the current one. Maybe you won’t win the championship again, but you could have done better. Finishing almost mid-table is a disaster.”
Stefano Pioli would be among the candidates for Napoli’s bench for next season, is he the right man to start from?
“Pioli has shown in every team he has coached that he knows how to have a very positive impact, especially in the initial period. He did it at Fiorentina, as well as at Lazio, Inter and Milan. For the new season it is important to find the right profile for the bench, especially in view of the construction of what will be the new Napoli in concert with the sporting director and the intentions of the president. (…)Inevitably someone will leave, but with four-five new elements Napoli can become competitive again and compete for the scudetto together with the other big names”.
Inter won the Scudetto with five matchdays to spare, did you expect a championship like this from the Nerazzurri? Was it a revenge for Simone Inzaghi?
“Inter as a team is the strongest team for four years now and perhaps they should have won a few more scudettos. Arriving after Conte was not easy for Inzaghi, a period of adaptation was necessary and physiological. The club has always rallied around the coach, even in negative moments, and today we are reaping the fruits of what we have sown. (…) Inter deservedly won and have laid the foundations to win again in the coming years. The Nerazzurri’s numbers are impressive, confirming the fact that it is not the module adopted that counts but the mentality given to the team. Thanks to Inzaghi who managed to inculcate his own ideas and create different mechanisms every year to ensure that this team is less and less recognizable for the opponents.”
