"I am proud to say that Abruzzo is the land where the Italian champions train. Now, however, the hope for next year is to have the Champions League trophy here ." These were the words of the President of the Region, Marco Marsilio , in his opening remarks at the Castel di Sangro (AQ) sports hall, during the welcoming ceremony for Napoli Calcio , which has been training under the orders of Coach Garcia since yesterday for the start of the second part of the pre-season retreat.
A ceremony, characterized by the presence of hundreds of Neapolitan fans, which was also attended by the president of the Neapolitan club, Aurelio De Laurentiis , and the president of the Province of L'Aquila and mayor of Castel di Sangro, Angelo Caruso . Also present, among others, was the regional councilor with responsibility for Sport, Mario Quaglieri.
“A year ago, President De Laurentiis ,” Marsilio recalled, “ said that Napoli would set out to win the Scudetto, and he proved to be a good prophet given how things went.
What initially seemed like just a gamble has become a splendid reality. It's a shame about the Champions League ," Marsilio added, " but that was also a wonderful adventure, and I'm sure all the conditions are in place to try again.
In any case, knowing that here in Abruzzo, in Castel di Sangro, the ideal conditions were created so that Napoli could train at its best and prepare to reach the goal that it then managed to achieve, is truly a great satisfaction”.
Napoli retreat in Castel di Sangro, the words of the president of the Abruzzo Region Marsilio
Marsilio then recalled the difficult times linked to the spread of Covid . "In the summer of 2020, with the pandemic still in its delicate phase, we were the first to reopen stadiums for football ," Marsilio continued, " and, precisely in Castel di Sangro, we allowed Napoli to host its fans in complete safety, thanks also to the excellent synergy established with the Prefecture and the police. This is the fourth year that Napoli has honored us with its presence," Marsilio continued, "a testament to the bond that has now strengthened between Abruzzo and Napoli supporters."
“I take this opportunity not only to reiterate that we always await with open arms all the fans of the Italian champion team but also to invite everyone to visit Castel di Sangro, its splendid district as well as the rest of Abruzzo which offers treasure chests of beauty, easily reachable from every part, from the inland areas to the coast”.
De Laurentiis , overwhelmed by the warmth of the fans, underlined, for his part, the winning choice of Castel di Sangro as the venue for the second phase of the Napoli football team's pre-season retreat, having discovered extraordinary sports facilities and an ideal environment, just over 100 kilometres from Naples , for a team that should have prepared at its best for Serie A and European cups.
Finally, De Laurentiis acknowledged President Marsilio's foresight in believing in a project that, thanks to the synergy with the Abruzzo Region, is boosting tourism in the Alto Sangro area and having positive impacts throughout the region.
At the end of the welcoming ceremony at Napoli, there was also a postmark from Poste Italiane dedicated to Napoli Calcio 's third Scudetto.
