Napoli, Manna: “Heavy pitch and we’re short on numbers, come January…” | OneFootball

Before the kickoff of the crucial Champions League clash against Qarabag, Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, took stock of the situation in an interview with Sky Sport, touching on topics ranging from the importance of tonight’s match to future transfer strategies.

Napoli, Manna defends Conte: “Bringing in 9 new players is not an excuse, but time is needed”

The evening at the Maradona stadium has a special flavor, and Manna knows it well. Asked whether the victory should be dedicated to a symbol, the sporting director had no doubts: “It’s a special day, we’d like to bring home the three points for him as well.” Moving on to the pitch, Manna gave a clear analysis of the current conditions, both of the playing field and the squad: “The pitch is heavy, but we have to play the match and bring home the three points. We’re facing a tough and quality opponent, it won’t be easy but we have to win. We’re coming off a good match against Atalanta, but unfortunately there was yet another injury: we’re a bit short on numbers, but we’ll fight hard.”

The director then defended coach Antonio Conte’s management regarding the integration of the many new faces who arrived in the summer: “It wasn’t an excuse, but when you add nine people to the squad, it’s not immediate that the chemistry clicks,” Manna explained, asking for time to get things running smoothly. “We expect answers and confirmations tonight, there’s trust in the group and we hope to play an important match.”

The conversation inevitably shifted to the January transfer window. The sporting director clarified the priorities, dictated above all by bad luck and absences in midfield: “We made significant moves in terms of numbers and spent quite a bit, but in midfield we’re limited in number,” Manna admitted. “January is a market of opportunities, we’ll try to be ready.” Finally, regarding rumors of a sensational return of Lorenzo Insigne, Manna closed the door for now, while still praising the former captain. “We spoke with Lorenzo even in the summer, but right now we have other priorities. We’re short in midfield, if we make moves, it will be there. Lorenzo is a strong player…”

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.