Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti discussed the Inter game and was asked whether Kalidou Koulibaly would start: “It would be disrespectful towards who replaced him to communicate the lineup now. It is clear that he is a special kind of player and person, as evidenced by how he behaved during the AFCON final. He immediately consoled the opponent that missed the penalty kick.”
“Our goal is to finish in the top four, but we know that winning tomorrow would catapult us towards the Scudetto. It is a very exciting situation. We were able to navigate through difficulties, picking up a lot of points. The daily work always pays off. If you have a strong squad, the players know what to do.”
Spalletti is not looking back at his time at Inter: “I have no vendetta against them. I am a professional, and I have the luck of being in a top team. This will be a key match, and we have been building towards it since the summer. Our careers hinge on clashes like this one. We care about it very deeply. They are top of the league right now since they are the reigning champions. They will be a little angry too. Our attitude must not change, though. We might lose, but we must not betray our nature.”
The coach recalled the first meeting between the two sides: “It was an important lesson because we conceded the third goal on a counter while we were trying to reorganize the squad. We turned the ball over too many times. We could not fully express our qualities in that game. You can not combat Inter from the physical standpoint; otherwise, you will most likely wind up on the losing end. Instead, things would become more interesting if we managed to have possession.”