It can’t get better than that – lead your national side to the first-ever Africa Cup of Nations triumph as a captain and subsequently lift the champions trophy. Ok, with a bit of that unnecessary stroll to stands and back to please those hotshots and their egos.But this was a dream come true for experienced Senegal and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, 30. His second to none playing skills have been present for years, if not decades, but his behaviour, especially in the AFCON finals, proved there’s much more to it than just being a formidable player. A true leader and an outstanding human. And that’s what his Napoli coach Luciano Spalleti emphasized in a pre-match conference ahead of their Saturday’s derby against Inter in Serie A.”Clearly, he’s a different player. You only have to see what he did in the final – he went to talk to his opponents first.”It’s the depth of the man that comes out, even before the player. “You may not know where you are going, but you must know where you came fromHowever, Napoli’s tactician is sure there’s no need to hurry with his return to the pitch after days of celebration. Especially since his Napoli teammates have done a splendid job of replacing him during the continental championship…”I think it’s disrespectful to those who would have to make room for him if I were to play him from the first minute.”From my point of view, it’s easy because whatever I choose will be the right one because everyone did well without him. We’ll clear up any doubts about the line-up tomorrow.”THANK YOU LUCIANO SPALLETI and great to see that you’re observing!!! – These Napoli players Hardly pass the Ball to Victor Osimhen when he makes good runs and he’s always in good space cos he’s a smart forward!! Mosttimes it’s frustrating Watching Napoli. No jokes pic.twitter.com/rAuH5X829H— Laba Laba Master 🦋🦋🦋 (@Buchi_Laba) February 9, 2022 Napoli and Spalleti’s former side Inter are fighting for the Serie A title, with the Milan-based slot being a point above the Southerners and with a game less played. The first encounter saw Nerroazzuri winning 2-0 at San Siro, but this time at Diego Armando Maradona stadium, it will be a whole different setup, with the home side being favourites in front of their passionate fans.”It’s good to point out that our aim was to get behind some of the strongest players in the league to be in the top four and enter the next Champions League. We know that by winning this game, we would be catapulted towards another objective,” admitted Spalleti before adding:”It’s cool, it’s made us spend a week with a smile on our face, and that smile has been maintained through the night while we slept, without realizing it. We love being in this position because we do this job.”Osimhen is back and firing! Napoli jump in between the Milan rivalsSpalletti noted that he was not looking to take revenge on Inter tomorrow – he previously spent two years in charge of the Nerazzurri, from 2017 to 2019.”I have no personal revenge to take. I know the right way to work, I have to be lucky to find players who think the same way to make me look good. This is an important match. The importance of a match like this is equivalent to the time it took previously to get there, “concluded he.SERIE A – ROUND 25Saturday17.00: (1.70) Lazio (3.90) Bologna (5.50)20.00: (2.90) Napoli (3.30) Inter (2.60)22.45: (1.50) Torino (4.20) Venezia (8.00)Sunday 14.30: (1.40) Milan (4.90) Sampdoria (9.00)17.00: (2.05) Empoli (3.60) Cagliari (3.80)17.00: (1.88) Genoa (3.60) Salernitana (4.60)17.00: (1.92) Verona (3.60) Udinese (4.40)20.00: (3.80) Sassuolo (3.50) Roma (2.10)22.45: (3.10) Atalanta (3.35) Juventus (2.45)
