RAFFAELE AMETRANO
Raffaele Ametrano, coach and former footballer of, among others, Napoli and Udinese, spoke on “1 Football Club”, a radio program hosted by Luca Cerchione broadcast on 1 Station Radio. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
Good morning, can you be a footballer from Naples? Can he adapt to a four-man defence?
“He has proven to be one of the best defenders we have in Italy. I have always thought that strong players can adapt to all game systems. He would have no problems, therefore, even if a lot will depend on the choice of Napoli’s next coach. It’s logical that finding Buongiorno in the squad pleases every coach, but it is also important to choose a player who is functional to the coach’s playing principles”
Can a young sports director like Manna have the credibility to establish himself in a reality like Naples?
“Time and choices will tell. In football you are always judged by results. He is young, he has enthusiasm. He has worked in an important place like Juve and will have clear ideas, but there will be work to do. Napoli this season year, he didn’t have a good championship and the choice of the new coach will be fundamental. This season there have been too many different ideas and the team hasn’t performed as well as hoped.”
Could it be only Giuntoli’s farewell that has created this confusion?
“Giuntoli is a competent manager and this may have created confusion. Furthermore, the president chose to do everything himself, thinking that the team was strong enough to be led by anyone. However, the Azzurri have lost that magic, that alchemy between staff, group and coach who made sure we couldn’t repeat what we achieved last year”
How do you see Cannavaro on the Friulian bench? Could he have sat on the blue one?
“Coaching Napoli is one thing, coaching the Friulians is another. Udinese is a historic team, but the pressures are different. It’s ideal for a coach who wants to emerge. In Naples you are judged immediately, you aim for success Fabio can train as a coach and I am convinced that he will be able to coach Napoli in the future.”
Should Napoli be refounded or fixed?
“Napoli have an important squad. Therefore, they shouldn’t be rebuilt. With the sale of Osimhen they can aim for a strong striker and shore up the squad. The Azzurri’s base is excellent. I repeat, however, that the choice of the next coach will be important “
Have you also been contacted to be part of the Udinese adventure with Cannavaro?
“No, I just wrote to him to wish him good luck. Fabio already has his own staff and I can only hope that he does well”
The match between Udinese and Napoli will be a challenge among the disappointments of the championship. What went wrong in the management of these two clubs?
“It’s always difficult to talk about it when you’re outside the team group. From the outside, Udinese lost many games in the final stages of the game, ruining everything. Therefore, they found themselves in a fight that hasn’t belonged to them for thirty years. four days from the end they find themselves fourth last in the standings, despite the squad being of quality. Something was wrong, but it is difficult to judge from the outside that enthusiasm, as I said before, that magic between the coach and the team is over , I believe that the Bianconeri are more motivated than the Neapolitans. There is this objective to achieve and, in my opinion, they will sell their lives dearly.”
Was Samardzic wrong not to make the leap to a big club already in January?
“We will never be able to understand and know. He is a player who has great quality, even if he lacks continuity. He has all the qualities to make the leap, but finishing his career with Udinese I think was the best choice. A transfer to January would have meant the need to adapt to a new environment while the championship was underway”
Also taking into account Kim’s performance in yesterday’s match, there are many Italians who have not been able to guarantee continuity compared to last championship. Did they all overperform last season or do you think it’s just a coincidence?
“It could be that everyone finds their best season in a team context that allows them to express themselves beyond expectations. Just think of Kvara, who last year seemed like a Martian and, today, seems to have come down to earth. Kim has changed context, methodologies and in races like yesterday’s you pay for every little mistake. However, there are mistakes that can happen.”
