Napoli's Marianucci: A dream to train with these champions | OneFootball

Eighth day of summer retreat for Napoli, and first official contact with the press for Luca Marianucci, central defender born in 2004 who arrived from Empoli. His presentation was held in the afternoon, from the stage of the Teatro Comunale in Dimaro, where the young player faced his first meeting with the media as an azzurro player with great lucidity and maturity.

Napoli, Marianucci introduces himself: "A dream that comes true. Training with these champions is a privilege"

"Training with these champions is a reason for pride" In his speech, Marianucci emphasized how the technical and human context of Napoli represents an unrepeatable opportunity for him:

"These first days have been full of emotion. Training with players like Kevin De Bruyne, Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno is a unique experience. I immediately got in tune with the group: in addition to being great professionals, I found people of great human depth. This makes everything easier".

From the province to the elite of Italian football Grown in the Empoli youth sector, Marianucci represents the classic example of Italian talent that emerged thanks to daily work and patience. The move to a big club like Napoli represents for him an ambitious and deserved leap in quality.

"Arriving at a club that has just won the Scudetto and is preparing for the Champions League is a dream for me. When I was a child, I imagined days like these. I know I still have to prove a lot, but being here is already an extraordinary achievement. My goal now is to learn as much as possible and be ready when the opportunity arises".

"Italians or foreigners, emerging is always a challenge" Asked about the path of young Italians within the big teams, Marianucci replied with pragmatism:

"I don't think it's a matter of nationality. In a squad full of strong players, it's difficult for everyone to emerge, Italians and foreigners. What makes the difference is the mentality: you have to work every day to earn a place. Nothing is taken for granted, but every training session is an opportunity".

Following Di Lorenzo's example The parallel with the azzurro captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who also passed through Empoli before establishing himself as one of the best full-backs in Europe, is not unnoticed:

"I know his story and for me, he is a model. Not only for his professional career but also for his attitude and leadership. Knowing that he passed through the same club makes everything even more stimulating. I hope to be able to draw inspiration from him also off the pitch".

D'Aversa is a great friend of Conte, have you had a chance to exchange some jokes with him? What are your first impressions of the work? "I spoke to D'Aversa a little while ago to thank him for what he did for me, he is a great coach as well as a great person. Thanks to him, I made my debut and had my first minutes in Serie A. As for Conte, I'm savoring it well in these days, but we'll see the work more ahead for the big games that will come".

Is there a new generation of defenders with you, Coppola, Leoni, has the Italian school returned? "I don't know, I think about myself, what I've done, and what I'll have to do. The path is long, it's just beginning. I continue with my head on my shoulders".

The negotiation was conducted months ago, what were your first thoughts when you found out about Napoli? How did you handle the final with Empoli? "The call caught me a bit off guard, honestly, but I thought about continuing with my team, ex-team, to achieve the goal that we didn't achieve unfortunately. The happiness was immense, then also when I came to play for Napoli, it was crazy to experience the stadium, the fans, beautiful".

What is the main obstacle for those who come from a provincial team? "I've already taken the biggest step, arriving here, now I need to get used to it, be in the team's rhythms, and get familiar with my teammates. Football is football, yes, there are different goals, but I feel ready to face them".

Are you being asked a lot in construction, has Conte made specific requests? "I really like playing with the ball, even if I'm a central defender, I've had glimpses of being a midfielder, but I like phrasing and building with the other departments, the coach asked me to do it, and it comes easily to me".

Based on your characteristics, which teammate can be the most suitable for you? "I've been very close to Juan Jesus, but I don't know who I can get along with better, then I'll play with everyone, and at that point, I'll know better".

What did Manna and the Napoli staff see in Marianucci? "I think I'm someone who never gives up, if we lose, I'm the first to get angry, maybe this sparked more interest, then my defensive skills, even in setting up".

You should be the fifth in the department, but you will have personal goals and you will want your space. "For now, I'll be the fifth, but my goal is to carve out a space for myself because there will be many games. The best weapon is hard daily work, and I'll focus on that".

Yesterday was your birthday, did you think of a dream? A wish? "Yesterday was one of the most beautiful birthdays of my life, even though I was doing running blocks, I was with my new teammates, great players, I couldn't have asked for more. The dream is to achieve even bigger goals".

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