Cesare Prandelli analyses Napoli's current situation and the fight for the Scudetto, highlighting the difficulties encountered by the Azzurri in the last two matches: speaking to the microphones of Radio Anch'io Sport On Rai Radio 1, the former national team coach underlined how the opposing teams have started to close all the spaces, making the offensive game of Antonio's men more complicated Tale.
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“Until a few days ago, Napoli had found incredible continuity, then some difficulties emerged. Perhaps the opponents have understood how to limit him, but Conte is a great coach and will be able to find new offensive solutions. Napoli is the only team that, at this moment, can think of going all the way and winning the title. The others are struggling more, also because of their European commitments”, Prandelli explained.
The former coach then broadened the discussion to the state of health of Italian football, underlining a general decline in brilliance: “In the last few games I have seen very tired teams. Our football is not going through a particularly brilliant moment”. Prandelli then addressed the issue of refereeing controversies and the use of VAR, proposing an innovative solution: “When VAR was born it seemed like it could help everyone, but we have complicated things. The only one who can decide immediately is the referee, maybe it would be useful to include some former great players in VAR, someone capable of evaluating the extent of the tackles and game situations. At the moment there is too much confusion”.
The problem of strikers in Italy
Finally, Prandelli analyzed the offensive difficulties of Italian football, referring in particular to Dusan Vlahovic: “I coached him and I always saw quality, personality and technique in him. But a striker can't just be a reference for the maneuver, he must maintain his unpredictability. Look at Gimenez's goal for Milan against Empoli: he dribbled and scored with an incredible shot, and everyone exclaimed 'finally an instinctive striker!'. The problem is that in Italy we have lost this type of player”.
"We are too focused on the game system and less on valorizing individuality. If we want to produce great strikers, wingers and playmakers again, we need to change our philosophy." As for his future, Prandelli rules out a return to the bench, but does not completely close the doors to football: “As a coach, no, but in other roles I could think about it”he concluded.
Article published on 10 February 2025 - 12:28
Prandelli's analysis of Napoli is interesting, but I don't agree that other teams struggle more. Every team has its difficulties and Napoli just needs to improve its strategy to deal with them.