Napoli’s Di Lorenzo: Bologna still hurts, we must improve away | OneFootball

The Azzurri captain analyzes the team's current situation, away performance, and the Super Cup challenge in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport: “We haven't forgotten that defeat, now we want the trophy.”

Napoli, Di Lorenzo urges his team: “Bologna is an open wound, we must do more away from home”

Giovanni Di Lorenzo speaks as a leader and a symbol of Napoli. In the interview given to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Azzurri captain addresses the most delicate issues of the current Neapolitan situation without beating around the bush: the inconsistent performance, the difficulties away from Maradona, and the emotional weight of some recent defeats, starting with the one against Bologna.

A match that, as Di Lorenzo himself admits, left a deep mark in the locker room and is now relevant again on the eve of a challenge that has an important trophy at stake.

Energy, intensity, and hunger: “Against us, a real match was needed”

The captain starts with the analysis of the last performance, emphasizing the mental aspect in addition to the physical one.

“The match itself made it a very tough game. It was a big semifinal match, with the prospect of lifting a trophy a few days later. When you play every three days, it's not easy to always find the energy,” explains Di Lorenzo.

According to the Azzurri defender, however, something has changed in the collective attitude: “In the last game, there was a different enthusiasm, and it was visible on the field. In the duels, we were almost always victorious: the more duels you win, the more the field opens up, and the more opportunities arise to do damage.”

Napoli shines against the big teams but is fragile in key moments

One of the central issues remains inconsistency. Napoli is capable of great performances against top teams but suddenly stumbles in crucial moments of the season.

“In reality, we've always been there,” clarifies Di Lorenzo. “Even the standings have always seen us competing with the others. In the Champions League, we've struggled more, that's true, but we know we have to work hard to avoid these blackouts.”

The captain also acknowledges the numerical and structural difficulties of the moment: “We are in a complicated period in certain aspects, but the team is reacting and showing a desire to quickly get out of this situation.”

The away game issue: “We can't explain it, but we have to do more”

The most thorny issue remains the performance away from the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, a limitation that is affecting the season's progress.

“It's a topic we've discussed in the locker room,” admits Di Lorenzo. “It's difficult to find an explanation, we don't know either. Especially since the support from the fans is not lacking even away from home.”

An evident problem, but it cannot become an excuse: “It's undeniable that we are struggling away. Precisely for this reason, we must give more, both individually and as a team.”

Bologna, a wound that still burns: “We remember it very well”

The circle closes by returning to Bologna, an opponent that marked a delicate passage of the Azzurri's season.

“It was a match that made us go through a particular period,” confesses the captain. “We remember it well, the thought is still alive.”

As already happened against Milan, which had beaten Napoli in the league, this challenge also takes on the flavor of revenge. But with a substantial difference.

“It will be a different game, with a trophy at stake,” concludes Di Lorenzo. “We want to lift the Super Cup for ourselves and for the fans, to add another important victory to our journey.”

Clear words, full of responsibility and ambition. Napoli knows it is not perfect, but it also knows that winning a trophy now can change the face of the entire season.

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