Spalletti: “Napoli, this championship is for you”

Napoli have been celebrating historic success since Thursday evening (4/5), their third championship and the first since 1990, and one of the main people responsible for this great achievement in terms of the Partenopei is none other than Luciano Spalletti.

The veteran coach built and presented an excellent squad that swept everything in his path from game 1 to game 33 (he suspended the Scudetto five games before the final of the marathon) and didn’t budge in his first statements after the match against Udinese could hide his emotion:

“The problem with people who, like me, are used to working hard is that we find it difficult to enjoy the victories to the fullest. There is always more to do, so the joy is fleeting.” Spalletti first explained, to complete:

“Seeing the Partenopei smiling and happy is the greatest feeling for me. The difficult thing is getting to this point with a whole city behind you.

There are people here who will get through difficult times in their lives because they remember this moment. These people deserve all this joy.

This world has seen giant coaches come and go. They saw Diego Maradona play, so it’s hard to say that we finished third last year and fought for the title.”

On how he built Napoli with such a strong foundation to get to the top he said: “Our main goal this year was to keep a place in the Champions League.

Some people reacted against the team last summer and I didn’t like that. When I said that we should fight for the title, some people complained and said that I got away or that I crossed the line.

But what I said was get the best out of these players and build a mentality of not giving up. This season was like the second half of the game against Udinese, last season was great too and our goal was never in question.

Benitez, Ancelotti, Sarri with the best football in Italy, Gattuso who won the cup, so what did I do? It’s not like I’m saying we want to avoid relegation. We have to win.”

Spalletti, who became the oldest coach to win the title, couldn’t hold back his tears at the end of the interview when asked who he was dedicating the Scudetto to:

“I have to dedicate it to the players who deserve this joy. Then to all the fans. Napoli is for you! And finally to everyone who works in Napoli, my staff, Giudoli, the club.

And my daughter Matilde. My whole family, of course, who support me. My friends and my brother Marcello”, concluded Spalletti, the last mention being poignant as his brother Luciano Spalletti died four years ago.