Rafa Benítez, SSC Napoli head coach has stated that the UEFA Europa League, which begins for them tomorrow against Sparta Prague, is one of the principle objectives of his club this season. In summary the ́azzurro ́ coach said "our first objective now, as it ́s our next game, is this competition and that involves qualifying in the group stages and later trying to get as far as possible. But in order to achieve this the first thing is to start well by beating Sparta Prague. That is the first step that will take us nearer to our objective".

"We know the characteristics and potential of the Czech team, they are the strongest team in their country and their players are very used to playing international games", explained the head coach of the Neapolitan club, who also added “already in my previous tenure at Chelsea I had the opportunity of facing this club and we managed to win both games in qualifying but I have to say they did not make it easy for us in either game despite the result. In my opinion we are facing a very solid and compact group who are also strong at set plays. That is why we will have to make a maximum effort if we want to get a good result and start the competition well".

How is team moral after the defeat against Chievo?

"Despite the final result, which we cannot change, we know our virtues, our work and our strengths. And we have to protect that. We have won the first Serie A game against Genoa suffering and fighting until the end. Then we have lost the second game against Chievo but with 33 shots on target which we didn’t score, this is a record. We even took a penalty which we also didn’t score. Now it seems there is an air of despair floating around but that is something that the team needs to stay away from. For us it is fundamental and very important that we stay calm in these circumstances. We cannot allow ourselves to get into that negative dynamic and desperation. We have to continue with our work to end this phase. If we always play like in the first half last Sunday it is clear we will get very far. But we should have scored a goal in the multiple chances that we had. I am only saying that we need to continue growing, improving and manage the games better. In many cases you cannot win by only playing a great first half. Knowledge of how to read the game and patience is needed. Games last 90 minutes plus extra time. You just need to look at the Genoa game to see that".

Do you think that some players are not in top form yet?

"I have been working as a football coach for 28 years and before that as a player and I can say from my experience and the objective data that we work with, all seasons after a World Cup can involve difficult starts. In our squad we have many international players, which is always positive, but that also means that they had to skip part of training though I am sure that with time we will be on top form like last year, when the team was at a very high level in that aspect. Of course winning helps in moral respects, tomorrow we will try to win and then continue working in the best way possible, hopefully with the added plus of a victory behind us".

What did you say to your players after the game against Chievo on Sunday?

"The analysis of the game does not change with the result, there are many concepts that have to be considered so that there is a fair and balanced evaluation. In general Napoli played well, very well I would say. We will continue our path knowing perfectly well what aspects we have to improve, knowing the mistakes we have made. We need to continue working looking forward further than an immediate victory, because the growth of the club is a slow process which needs time, a lot of time in order to reach success".

Will there be rotations to tomorrow ́s team against Sparta?

"I have always been a strong defender of so called rotations. I think they are fundamental for achieving optimum performance from a great squad. I remember when I introduced them in Valencia many people were surprised with the decision. In the end we won the Spanish league and the UEFA Cup and everyone was delighted and said it had been a fantastic idea. We are still at the start of the season and we have played few games, we will decide what players will need to be rotated depending on this season ́s requirements. Little by little, tomorrow we will know more".

Higuain got a knock on the foot in the game against Chievo, will he be available for tomorrow ́s European game?

"Gonzalo (Higuain) has been working very carefully these last few days, it is true. He may be or not, we will know and decide tomorrow. The same applies to Jorginho, who remains a doubt. In any case, I have said many times that we have a very good squad to choose from and when the time arrives we will do what we believe is right for the team".

Has this stormy start to the season reduced the level of enthusiasm in the team?

"Last year we managed to do great things and we ended up winning a title, the Italian Cup. Our mentality and confidence in ourselves has not changed at all. We cannot allow that to happen, we have to be 100% to change the circumstances. The group has been strengthened and continues to grow, that is the reality that can be seen by anyone who is with us in the day to day. We need to move forward and continue working shoulder to shoulder with fans, I will never tire of saying that their support is fundamental yet again. The city has understood that the support of the ́azzurro ́ fans is very important to us. The key to continuing this project is to keep united. In this way results will come".