The coach of Italy’s first scudetto: “When a team that isn’t used to it gets to the scudetto, it always struggles the following year”
Rudi Garcia responsible for Napoli’s crisis? No, not according to Ottavio Bianchi. The coach of the first Italian championship defends the French coach, who arrived on the bench of the Italian champions to take up the legacy of Luciano Spalletti. Napoli, after 5 days of the championship, are already very far from Inter in first place. “What is happening to Napoli is not surprising. Going back over the years it has always happened: when a team not used to winning the scudetto manages to reach this coveted goal, the following year it always struggles. It happened to a team like Cagliari , Verona, Sampdoria, in Rome and Lazio and now it is happening in Napoli”, Bianchi tells Adnkronos.
“We also know how to underline that too few games have still been played, 5 in the league and one in the Champions League, it’s really early to make any judgments – continues Bianchi -. I don’t think that in Naples they need to bandage their heads, because they have a ‘excellent team and plenty of time to recover from these initial missteps.”
According to the former coach, the change on the bench with Garcia replacing Spalletti had no influence on this difficult start: “I don’t think that the change on the bench created problems, I think that even with Spalletti some difficulties would have become apparent which are physiological after last season’s feat”.
Bruno Giordano: “Players take responsibility”
Bruno Giordano, center forward of Napoli’s second tricolor, also lines up in defense. “I don’t agree with those who blame the new coach for this start which isn’t up to Napoli’s potential. It may be that Garcia made a mistake in the timing and methods of some substitutions but it’s the players who go on the pitch and must take care the greatest responsibilities, having a prompt reaction and getting Napoli back to last year’s levels”, says the former striker.
“I read that someone blames this difficult start on the euphoria of the scudetto won a few months ago – continues Giordano -. I am of the opinion that euphoria is better than depression. It’s nice for a player to have 7,000 enthusiastic fans who follow you away to Bologna. There may be a moment when things don’t work out but now the team must react because they have all the qualities to stay at the top of the table.”
Source-www.adnkronos.com