An essential owner in the chessboard of Napoli, leader in midfield of the team that is dominating the championship. Stanislav Lobotka talks about his initial difficulties until his consecration with Spalletti in an interview in today's edition of The morning.
"At the beginning I didn't have confidence in myself, then with Spalletti..."
"It was difficult at the beginning - says the Slovak -. I had no confidence in myself, I couldn't find rhythm and mental health. I tried to improve myself but I had no space on the pitch.
I waited for my turn to come, I never gave up. And then I found the right path thanks to Spalletti."
"When the mister arrived at Napoli I sensed things were going to change - continues -. I heard him talk about beautiful football, team play: it was my way of understanding football.
He was the mental factor for my turning point, I felt the trust of those around me."
"Spalletti is never happy. We can put in any kind of performance, but he will always say that the next one must be better.
He always keeps us focused, he tells us not to let our guard down. We wouldn't be here without him and his reminders."
"The advantage in the standings?
It's a fairy tale, but it's still a long way off."
Lobotka he then spoke about the situation in the standings and the +15 on the pursuers: "It's a fairy tale - he's joking -. But we are not safe yet, there are 16 games to play, which is a lot. We have to continue to take the field without thinking we are so high up.
And in the end I hope we win the championship."
"We've come a long way; before the season, no one believed in us.
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Even in the Champions League, no one thought we could do so well, but we showed good football. And the compliments that arrived were important."
"If I were a player Inter o Milan I certainly wouldn't be in a good mood - he adds -. I have the impression that those behind are already thinking about how to get a place in next year's Champions League, even if that's perhaps just my hope.
In any case, let's not get our hopes up: we won't have any lapses in concentration until it's over."
"Differences with a last year?We started well but some injuries complicated our path and not a little, we really had a lot of them.
But we could have won the championship a year ago too - explains 'Lobo' -. Having the squad always available is a fundamental factor in reaching the finish line."
"We're focusing on Sassuolo, then we'll think about the Champions League."
"My compatriot Hamsik?In case of a championship he would be one of the happiest - continues -. When he was there, the team was strong.
He was the captain for years and came close to winning the title many times. I don't know if he said anything to Joints to get me caught, but the director did everything he could to bring me here to Naples."
Now the focus is on the challenge with the Sassuolo: "They're a team with a lot of quality, we'll need to be focused.
Then we'll think about the Champions League away match against Eintracht Frankfurt, starting from the return trip from Reggio Emilia."
Finally, a thought on the possible victory of the title: "They make me imagine what could happen, but the road is still long and uphill. I like Naples, even if I don't leave the house much.
But when I see the fans crazy with joy I'm happy, they transmit pure love."
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