Benítez: "The game requires pace, quality and character"

A pre-match interview to Radio Kiss Kiss prior to the game in Verona

15/03/2015sscnapoli.it/rafabenitez.com

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Rafa Benítez, SSC Napoli head coach, has once again spoken to Radio Kiss Kiss, the Club´s official radio station to give his point of view on the game they will play tomorrow against Hellas Verona. He also replied to the usual pre-match questions made to him prior to their 27th game of the Italian Serie A. The Spanish coach wanted to highlight his team´s performance referring to their victory last Thursday against Dynamo Moscow in the UEFA Europa League and stated that: "The truth is that we played a great game with the right intensity and mentality throughout".

"Our Napoli has really shown their potential, quality, character to make a comeback and dominate the game while at the same time creating many chances to score" continued the Spanish coach, still making reference to the game in the last sixteen of the UEFA Europa League, and insisted that: "As coach, I couldn’t be happier with the development of the team in the last few games. The game against Hellas Verona will not be easy, we know that, so we have to get on that pitch and give all of our strength and character. And all of this with the significant absences that will have for this game".

SSC Napoli climbed up to 22nd place in the official UEFA classification of Clubs after your victory against Dynamo Moscow. What do you think about this good news?


"Well, it is one more example of how the team and Club are growing in Italy and in Europe, this is something that we set out to do from the moment we arrived here. That was one of our challenges and it looks like we are very close to it. Climbing the official UEFA classification of Clubs is always a very positive thing on many levels, especially for the future of the Club itself".

How important is Higuaín´s good form in the progress of your team?


"For me it is very difficult to speak of just one particular player. I believe that a whole squad, each and every member contributes to achieving victories. Even helping their team mates shine. But it is also strictly true that when Gonzalo (Higuaín) plays at his top level and is focused, he is an extraordinary player. I think nobody doubts that. His team mates always try to help him in all areas, it is true, and he contributes very important things to the team. It is not the first time you hear this but for me he is a unique player who is fundamental in helping us fulfill our objectives".

You are travelling to Verona with practically half of the defensive line: Koulibaly and Strinic are injured and Henrique is suspended. How do you plan on dealing with this?

"The first thing I must say is that we always have confidence in our players and in this case we are going to take Luperto, he is a player from the reserve team who did the preseason with us in Dimaro. He is a very good young player from the Academy and is doing very well and he trains with us quite regularly. We can also play other players from the squad. I never speak of absences, they are imponderables of football and I have complete confidence in the members of our squad. Today we will look at Maggio´s and Gabbiadini´s physical condition and we will see if they will play tomorrow. We are playing games every three days and we have to manage things well. It is not easy, that is the truth, because the intensity we need to play well is high. But we have to optimise our resources and energies in the best way possible. Our technical staff, both the medical and technical are doing an absolutely fantastic job so I am optimistic and I think we will reach the end of the season in good form".

On the other hand, there is some good news, like the recovery of Zúñiga and very soon Insigne from injury…


"Camilo (Zúñiga) is a player that can really make a difference when he is on top form, just like Lorenzo (Insigne). Zúñiga already played a few minutes last Thursday and showed that he is in perfect condition. Regarding Insigne, we will have to wait until he is in top form, but I am sure that both will be a great help to the Club in the coming months. In my opinion, Lorenzo (Insigne) is a very important player not just for SSC Napoli but also for Italy and for the future of the Italian national team. He knows perfectly well that I have high esteem and consideration for him, I have told him many times. My work now is to get him back to his best physical fitness after being injured for a long time, and ensure that we guarantee his maximum perfomance. At the moment he is on the squad list for the game against Hellas Verona and that is a very positive step".

Are you expecting a difficult atmosphere at the ´Marcantonio Bentegodi´ stadium?

"No doubt, the atmosphere will work against us, and the players know this perfectly. It will be quite a complicated game, as we have said, and having played last Thursday at a great intensity does not especially simplify things for us. But we have a profound respect for Hellas Verona and precisely because of this we have to be prepared to play a great game that will, without a doubt, require high pace and also all of our quality and all of our character".