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Luciano Spalletti wants Pep Guardiola and Paolo Maldini to know he is chief among their biggest fans, with the Napoli boss seeking to make peace with both men.
Speaking on the eve of his team’s Champions League quarter-final against Milan, Spalletti stressed his recent spat with Rossoneri sporting director Maldini was no reflection of his admiration for the legendary former defender.
He also stressed he had no problems with Guardiola after recent toing and froing through the media.
Manchester City head coach Guardiola hailed Napoli as Europe’s top team when the Champions League quarter-final line-up took shape, but that praise was palmed away by Spalletti.
The Napoli boss saw it as a ploy – “a game to build us up, so they can knock us down” – but he stressed on Tuesday he also recognised it as a compliment.
That was after Guardiola reacted on Monday to Spalletti’s remarks by saying: “I don’t want to talk about Napoli because the manager will be grumpy with me. So sensitive in Italy.”
This time, Spalletti looked to calm the narrative.
“I learned a lot from Guardiola,” Spalletti said. “Everyone has learnt something from Guardiola. For me, Guardiola is like [Jurgen] Klopp, [Roberto] De Zerbi, all the amazing managers.
“Guardiola, Klopp and De Zerbi are among the football managers I always look at. So if my expression was misunderstood by Guardiola, I’m sorry because I’m truly happy when a manager like him says good words about Napoli.
“It would take me days and days to appreciate Guardiola’s former Barcelona.”
Boss man #UCL
#ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/lYfGbd97Jj— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) April 11, 2023
A tunnel dispute involving Spalletti and Maldini was picked up by television cameras before the second half of Napoli’s shock recent 4-0 home loss to Milan in Serie A.
He was quoted as describing Maldini’s behaviour as being “disrespectful” shortly after the event.
According to Spalletti, that April 2 incident could be written off as “just standard chat” or a “small fight”.
Napoli’s 64-year-old coach even said he has a Maldini shirt on his wall at home and was “totally OK with him”.
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