MILAN (AP) – Luciano Spalletti will return to Napoli on Sunday for the first time since leading the club to their first Serie A title in more than 30 years.
Spalletti says the prospect is already emotional for him. He goes there as Juventus coach.
“I’m going to be excited because I have a lot of friends there waiting for me,” Spalletti said. “It doesn’t matter how I’m welcomed, but the feelings I have for them are the feelings of those who love them.”
Spalletti leaves Napoli He returned in 2023 after leading the club to their first league title in 33 years, but said at the time that he needed a year off. But just three months later, he Appointed as Italy’s new coach After Roberto Mancini suddenly resigned.
Spalletti was fired from the Italian national team in June. juventus hired him In October, after the Bianconeri manager fired Igor Tudor due to a slow start to the season.
Juventus are seventh in Serie A, just five points behind leaders Napoli and AC Milan.
Juventus has not won in Serie A since 2020, when their nine-game winning streak ended. That dominance began with current Napoli manager Antonio Conte.
Conte also led Inter Milan to the title in 2021, ending Juventus’ winning streak. Last season, he coached Napoli to victory.
Conte, 56, who also spent 13 years at Juventus, acknowledged this weekend’s emotional encounter and sought to downplay it.
“At the end of the day, it’s a match and three points are at stake,” Conte said. “I have a lot of respect for them, but everyone on the field will be trying to bring home the three points.”
major matches
The top four in Serie A will be separated by just one point in an exciting race for the title.
Co-leaders Milan visit Turin on Monday along with the hosts, who are without a win in five games.
However, Turin proved difficult for the top teams. They achieved draws against Bologna and Juventus, and wins against Napoli and Roma.
Inter and Roma are separated by one point from the top two. Inter play a regional derby at home to Como on Saturday, with the visitors trailing the Nerazzurri by just three points. Roma visit relegation-threatened Cagliari on Sunday.
Sixth-placed Bologna also head to Lazio with a three-point difference over the top four.
Featured players
Pio Esposito arrived from Serie B and has scored in all competitions for Inter this season, as well as scoring three goals for Italy. The 20-year-old scored in Wednesday’s Italian Cup and is already being touted as Italy’s next great centre-forward.
Juventus are lamenting Dusan Vlahovic’s serious injury, but hope Canadian forward Jonathan David will be given a chance. David joined Juve in the off-season and was mainly used as a substitute. He has also scored goals in the Champions League and Serie A, dating back to his debut in August.
Activity suspended
Juventus’ Federico Gatti and Vlahovic are scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday, with the defender in Lyon and the forward in London. Gatti is expected to return in about a month, while Blachowicz is unlikely to return before March.
Napoli’s injury list continues to grow, with Stanislav Lobotka sidelined once again. The midfielder missed much of October with an adductor injury and picked up a new muscle injury ahead of Wednesday’s Italian Cup match.
off the field
Italy will play an important role world cup qualifying playoffs At Atalanta’s home stadium, Bergamo.
Four-time World Cup winners Italy host Northern Ireland on March 26, with the winner having to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy are about to end an incredible 12-year wait to play on soccer’s biggest stage. The Azzurri are unbeaten, having recorded two draws and two 5-0 wins in Bergamo, including Gennaro Gattuso’s debut as manager in September.
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