“Juventus? No, this year I’m satisfied»- Corriere.it

Whether or not it’s a missed opportunity, time will tell, variables are the salt of football. But Napoli greeting the coach who won the Scudetto for 33 years is a sporting paradox. Spalletti is like this, his story says so. It is the challenge of the man of principle that overcomes the coach’s ambition: he could have bet once again on land that he has made fertile, with a luxuriant rose devoted to him; instead he chooses to return (for now) to the countryside. There where “I don’t need wings” replying to De Laurentiis that he doesn’t want to “clip them”. The boots, yes, he mentions them (“I need them”), revealing the desire to spend more time in the vineyard of his Remittance. Truth or lie? Football is the world where everything is always possible. Juventus is the future of sporting director Giuntoli, could he achieve it? “Every year at my age I have to re-take inventory of what’s going on in my brain. I can only talk about the next one and I’m already satisfied».

The eve of Napoli-Inter thus becomes the day of metaphors and thanksgiving: the word goodbye is never said, however, the questions are insistent, the little story of “who has to say what” becomes cloying. Spalletti partly gives in and partly doesn’t: we need to understand rather than listen. Entering his head full of things, reading the irony in the smiles, hearing the little coughs of emotion. «I gave all my time to Naples – she says – trying to do my best. But the moments I lived here remain eternal, indelible. Yes, I have received more than I have given». He takes off his tracksuit jacket and shows a training bib, where, two seasons ago, he had written: I’ll be with you, now there’s the celebration: Italian champions.

Departure and arrival, if this is not goodbye… “I defined everything – he adds – at dinner with the president, it’s up to him to communicate”. Man has little resistance to politically correct, the dots over the «i» are his favorite exercise. And then, all in one breath: «False that there was a negotiation; false that I give up more money; false that I have to pay a clause; false that I wait for another team». Very clear. Spalletti has another passion besides writing down tactical schemes and moods in notebooks of memory. He collects newspaper articles about him: he reads, preserves and alludes: «Does it suit you or is there someone who tells you to write things that are not true?».

There’s Inter at Maradona and Lucio finds the field again: «We have stimuli and desire, we face the Champions League finalist who needs to be complimented. It’s the only team we haven’t beaten, this could be the occasion». He will play it with the best interpreters of his football. The next will come on June 30: will it be a future that can be improved? Spalletti relaunches: «It took courage when I arrived, now things are in order, we need to go ahead and do more. De Laurentiis is a guarantee, he has already talked about the Champions League ». He returns to the president who, like him, reaffirms the desire to “win again” while becoming a Knight of Merit of the Constantinian Order of Saint George. He probes De Zerbi, dreams of “friend” Conte and thinks back to Italiano and Gasperini. He reveals to some friends: «I like Palladino». Spalletti is more adept at messing things up: «When I leave again, I do it a thousand times». Where, Spalletti? He smiles, goes on the pitch. Crazy horse… in boots.