A few hours after president Aurelio De Laurentiis announced his exit, Luciano Spalletti expounded on his choice to step down and take a year off following the ‘Inside the Sport 2023’ event (via SportMediaset).
“Have you ever broken up with somebody because of too much love? At my age, I can decide to do anything. When you are in a city like Naples, which deserves much more than normal things, you have to ask yourself whether you are capable of providing them. It has witnessed the best player in the world and great coaches, especially in the last few years.”
“Maurizio Sarri is a teacher of football, Carlo Ancelotti is one of the top managers, Gennaro Gattuso is very passionate, and Rafa Benitez is an international-caliber gaffer. You come here to win, and we didn’t manage in our first year and faced some criticism. I wondered whether I could do it next season, and I can’t, so I will step aside.”
The boss cited familiar reasons behind the call.
“I have to coach my kid Matilde, who’s very young, and I want to spend time with her. Moreover, I need to rest because I’m tired.”
Spalletti denied any issue with the owner.
“De Laurentiis relayed what we had told each other in the first dinner where we discussed the future. I took the floor first and stated I would not manage Napoli or any other team next season. I’m glad he publicized it, or the matter could have dragged. It was fair for the team to announce it first out of respect.”
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