Rafa Marin ready to ‘learn all I can’ from Conte and Napoli | OneFootball

Rafa Marin said joining Napoli is ‘a dream come true’ after completing the transfer from Real Madrid and he is eager to ‘learn everything I can’ from Antonio Conte, who is already transforming his approach.

The central defender turned 22 in May and is a product of the Real Madrid youth academy, but really flourished during last season’s loan spell at Deportivo Alaves.

He made the move to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for €12m plus bonuses, though the Merengues have a complicated series of buy-back clauses.

“Coming to Napoli is another dream come true, this is a great club. I always wanted to play in Serie A and I’m happy with the decision I made,” said Marin in his presentation press conference this afternoon.

“I am inspired by Sergio Ramos, for the grit and his behaviour off the field too. I’m very versatile and can play in any role in defence, so the coach can choose where to play me.”

Marin adapting to Conte’s Napoli ideas

Conte is working hard on making the Partenopei solid this summer and moving them to his favoured three-man defence, but it is paying off, as they are yet to concede a goal in pre-season friendly matches.

However, that does not mean he is focused only on that aspect of Marin’s game.

“I am good in the box and pretty strong in one-on-one situations. I also have quality with the ball at my feet, the coach is asking me to bring out the more attacking characteristics and I’m giving my best.”

Another thing that famously stands Conte out from the crowd is his brutal training sessions and Marin admits they live up to that reputation.

“I struggled at the start with the physical exertion, because training is a lot harder here. We are also working on the movement of the defensive line, as Conte doesn’t want more than 30 metres separating the attack from the defence.

“There are already some movements the coach asks for and I think he’s pleased to see daily improvements. You can tell in the friendly games there is already a team here.

“There are big differences with the way Alaves used to defend, as the coach asks us to be more attacking and aggressive. I want to learn everything I can from Conte.”