MADRID, 11 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Naples, Francesco Calzona, has assured that the second leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League this Tuesday against FC Barcelona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is “the match of the year” for his team, in addition to point out that they are “not” afraid.
“Tomorrow is the game of the year for us. Passing would mean a lot both at the club level and for the team’s enthusiasm,” he declared at a press conference. “In these challenges, if you are afraid, it is not even worth showing up. We are not afraid. We must have the courage to face a great rival with the awareness of our strength and our courage,” he added.
In this sense, given the magnitude of the duel, he stated that there is no need to motivate his players. “It is not necessary to explain the importance of this match to the players. They are challenges that have a great emotional impulse for them. I focused more on the technical aspect than on the motivation. We have some tactical elements to perfect and we need to grow,” he said. .
“Beyond the formation, what interests me tomorrow is that we show that we are a team. We need to play compactly and with great solidity. Only by doing things well can we achieve the goal we have set for ourselves,” he continued.
Regarding the first leg, which Calzona faced only 48 hours after being named team coach, he assured that there have been quite a few changes. “We have changed a lot in recent weeks. We defend forward, I don’t like running back, we create more scoring opportunities… and that is thanks to the boys who have taken giant steps. The road is still long and we still have a lot to advance to reach the level I want,” he indicated.