“In the right place. Goals and universities, when I was a child I supported Inter »- Corriere.it

Giacomo Raspadori, 22, from Bentivoglio in the province of Bologna, has short hair, cut by the barber every week and combed without gel. He has a freckled face and big eyes. A very pretty girlfriend named Elisa, soap and water just like him. She thin, apparently. Determined in the approach. Incisive on the pitch. The secret of mister 35 million (many Napoli gave Sassuolo to buy him) is the balance, physical and mental, with which he remains in line in his private and professional life. “I’m a normal boy, humble, too”, this is the manifesto of the National striker who passed naturally from mid-table bomber to protagonist of a team that looks down on everyone in Serie A and is first in the group of Champions. Jack was not catapulted to the Luna Park, he does not suffer from the high altitude, nor the ups and downs of the roller coaster. His normality has an effect, which he also likes to explain (“it is a way of being, which has nothing to do with exteriority or aesthetics”). It must be said that he has no tattoos and earrings (“simply because I don’t like them”). Without filters: «What bad to say that I sympathized with Inter? ” There isn’t, actually. This naturalness is the added value. Like the two goals (four, including the two with the national team).

Raspadori, from Sassuolo to Naples. Reasoned choice?

«Ambitious choice. Wanted. Also designed and approved by my family. I will always thank Sassuolo who understood my need and went along with it. Napoli gave me confidence, a lot of confidence. And I felt that I could reciprocate it. Never fear, respect for the big club where I landed yes. I felt ready ».

Until now she could be on the pitch and make mistakes, and at her age it can still happen. Naples is a demanding showcase.

«I am 22 years old, in football they are not few. Being able to make mistakes and get up formed me. Probably if I had not done this path I would have had difficulty. And as a kid I had a lot of disappointments. Falling and getting up in a square that judges you, but up to a certain point, it helped me, it accelerated growth. That’s why I felt the time had come. ‘

Some colleagues of the same age have chosen the Premier. Have you ever thought about it?

«The Premier is a dream for everyone, those who play football love and admire that football. Then in life each chooses what he wants. For me there was Napoli and that’s it. When I arrived I had confirmation that I was in the right place at the right time of my life ».

Debut in the Champions League with goals, he went further.

«What happened that could not happen even in a dream. The emotion was very strong, but like all things I managed it with balance. Just like when I was called up for the national team and I found myself, without imagining it, living the adventure of the European Championships. Now it hurts not to go to the World Cup, but I have time and Mancini’s confidence ahead of me ».

Balance is a feature that Napoli lacked a bit last year.

«I often watched the matches on TV, the team was strong. He has done important things, not taken for granted. It could have been better too, right. But maybe that’s the growth. Napoli is a group, also from a human point of view, with high values. The harmony makes us perform at our best ».

Could this year be the right time with Raspadori?

«We are many in the upper area of ​​the standings, and it is too early to say who will cross the finish line. Milan, Inter, Rome, Atalanta and Juventus and we who do not set ourselves limits ».

Do you feel the pressure?

“Of course. But pressure is good if managed and we have learned to do it. This makes us take the field determined but also light, bold. The game, even one with a very high stakes, must be an occasion for fun. So you give your best ».

Jack the wise, is that okay with you?

«It is not wisdom. Only vision. I train the body but also the mind. Study and sport can go hand in hand. An added value for each other. I graduated from high school and I am enrolled in sports science. The life of the footballer is not very long, afterwards you have to know how to do something else. And be prepared ».

For now there is football, and another legacy. Jack instead of an icon: Ciro Mertens.

“An honour. Stimulating. Here he made the record. He was a protagonist. I met him and he made a great impression on me also from a human point of view. Very intelligent person ».

Do you have defects?

“I have to improve in physicality, and I’m working on it, but also in my incisiveness in the goal area.”

Spalletti is demanding on the pitch, what do you ask of you?

“He asks me to be natural. Do the things I know how to do. It gives me freedom, for me it is the highest form of trust ».

Aguero, Di Natale, Paolo Rossi: idols with which he is associated from time to time. Who was she looking at?

“Aguero and I’ll put Rooney in it too. The combinations are nice but to be like them it still takes a lot. For now I try to steal something from everyone ».

Champions, you and Simeone still in the ballot.

Competition is energy. The races are long and we can both have an impact ».

Is Napoli’s secret the attack, including Osimhen?

“Our performances are high, with everyone’s contribution, but a midfield with Anguissa, Lobotka and Zielinski makes a lot, a lot of difference.”