Spalletti has begun to see opportunities and not owls

Luciano Spalletti he said he is “very confident” for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League that his Napoli will play at the Deutsche Bank Park, the former Waldstadion, in Frankfurt am Main, against Eintracht Frankfurt. He didn’t hide his ambition, his goal of getting through, of winning. Because Napoli (and especially Spalletti) can’t do anything else. He has to win, go through, go on as far as possible. And as much as possible means the final, and with the cup raised to the Istanbul sky, next June 10 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium.

He has heard it from many, many. From former local glories, from former great players, from coaches, commentators, insiders. Rarely has such uniformity of thought been seen. Because certainly Bayern Munich is strong, Real Madrid is a team that always finds a way to be protagonist, Manchester City and Liverpool are coached by Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, so never say never, but Napoli this year…

Napoli are playing well, very well this year, in Italy they have already got rid of their rivals and in Europe they have already beaten Liverpool (4-1 in the first leg and an insignificant 2-0 defeat) and Ajax (1-6 and 4-2), while with the Rangers it was “obvious” that it would end up as it did: double 3-0.

Results, both Italian and European, which have convinced most of the strength of the Azzurri, now ready to take in one season everything they have never achieved, at least not together. Results, both Italian and European, which prove the work done by Luciano Spalletti and the club right and which are now being put on the counter, with no desire for ostentation, but without even false modesty, which often, too often, is nothing but fear, fear unbelievable to lose everything. The one that very often disguises itself with superstition.

Superstition is a sort of admission of inadequacy, putting one’s hands forward to avoid taking one’s responsibilities. Luciano Spalletti could say in recent weeks that they were cheating on him, that too much praise is a way to distract the team, to bring bad luck. It had already happened. Not this time though. Because years and years of narrowly lost trophies sometimes serve to understand that bad luck has something to do with it up to a certain point and that the duty of a strong team is to be aware of it and prove it.

Luciano Spalletti has changed. At almost sixty-four he found himself perhaps for the first time really convinced that the Spalletti momentthe one in which everything turned against him and potentially excellent seasons turned into a stalemate, perhaps it wasn’t the fault of bad luck and those who cheated on him, but his fault and that of the players, unable to fully respect the role of winners .

And so what he said on the eve also takes on another meaning, quite different from the literal one: “Glasner said it right. He knows us well, we’ve been following them since last year when they won the final against Rangers on penalties. There is always something to learn from those who win. It will be a difficult game against an opponent who knows how to stay on the pitch. We have a 50% chance of going through.” Mathematics is no longer justification, but an incentive to make it happen.

It will be seen to what extent, if the lesson has really internalized it.