Champions, Napoli: Luciano Spalletti plays fireman

Luciano Spalletti returns to spat with Maldini and Guardiola’s words

Luciano Spalletti, in the press conference introducing the Champions League quarterfinal first leg between Napoli and AC Milan, returned to the spat with Paolo Maldini that took place at halftime of the league match between the partenopei and rossoneri and also to the words of Pep Guardiola, who called him “touchy” for responding in a piquant manner to a comment made by the Catalan coach.

“I think I don’t have to say anything to Paolo, I have enormous esteem for him,” the Certaldo coach said. The cameras catch every detail but these are very normal locker room things, things that happen. When, at the time of Zenit, I was asked for an international profile as a collaborator I specifically mentioned Maldini’s name, although in the end he did not accept. I also remember a post on Instagram, in June 2020, the jerseys closest to me in the picture were those of Maldini and De Rossi. Regarding what happened in the league, I was sorry I didn’t say goodbye to him at the end of the game.”

On Guardiola, Spalletti instead sentenced, “When I talk about him I have to stand up (while saying this he actually stood up from his chair for a moment, ed.). He is a coach I am constantly observing and if my words did not have the effect I wanted I apologize to him: it pleases me if someone like him speaks well of Napoli, I should take days to speak about his teams, no matter how well I would speak about them. He spoke of Napoli as a possible winner of the Champions League, I say we don’t have the anxiety of having to win it.”

“However, I hope I can have a laugh with Guardiola talking about these statements, over a good Turkish coffee,” Spalletti concluded with a reference, not too veiled, to the final to be played in Istanbul.