Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has waxed lyrical about his standout performer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and heaped praise on Giacomo Raspadori. With a long-awaited Serie A return in the wake of the Qatar World Cup approaching rapidly, the Partenopei manager has looked back at some of his high-performing individuals.
Determined to bring a 30+ year wait for the Scudetto to a halt, Napoli got the 2022/23 Serie A season off to a flyer. Spalletti’s team welcomed the World Cup break as sovereign league leaders, eight points clear of defending champions Milan.
As the only side in Serie A yet to lose a single top-flight fixture this term (W13, D2), Napoli look to be waltzing away with the title. Hopefully for Spalletti and his men, the six-week hiatus from top-tier club football won’t leave its mark on the Partenopei, who were in sublime form before the break.
One of the players who impressed the most was a relatively unknown Georgian winger, Kvaratskhelia. Though his switch from Dinamo Batumi to the Stadio Diego Maradona failed to grab the headlines, the 21-year-old forward took Serie A by storm.
His eye-catching showings in Naples swiftly turned him into one of the most sought-after players in Europe. Spalletti has made it perfectly clear what he thinks of Kvaratskhelia, labeling him as the difference-maker.
“We must try to bring Kvaratskhelia back to health, he always makes the difference, even when he doesn’t have the ball he must learn to impose his will,” he said, as relayed by Alfredo Pedulla.
Spalletti went further to draw comparisons between Italy international Raspadori and household Atletico Madrid playmaker Antoine Griezmann.
“Giacomo is like Griezmann,” he said.
And while Raspadori’s Italy failed to reach the World Cup finals for the second tournament in a row, Griezmann has been one of the most impressive stars in Qatar. Despite struggling to find his feet in Madrid, the left-footed forward has played a prominent role in helping France set up a mouth-watering final against Argentina.