Good morning, Napoli: "We'll defend the Scudetto tooth and nail."

Alessandro Buongiorno has chosen the South to raise the bar, and now from Dimaro, with the Dolomite sky above his head and the Scudetto sewn on his chest, he has no doubts: “We will defend the title tooth and nail.” The former Granata player, now a pillar of the Azzurri's defence, describes the atmosphere at the Italian training camp: sweat, concentration, and a coach, Antonio Conte, who makes no concessions to anyone.

“The manager is very excited – explains the defender to Sky microphones – He's making us work really hard, but we're happy. We're tired from the heavy workload, but we're motivated. We want to be ready for the start of the championship." Coming off a season plagued by injuries, Buongiorno is making the most of every day to get back into top form: "I'm feeling better, I'm working to get back to my best. I can't wait to work hard with my teammates again."

Napoli are still finding their feet, with many new faces still needing to get used to Conte's system: on Saturday, they play their second summer friendly against Catanzaro after their defeat to Arezzo. “These are useful tests – says Good morning – they help us to find the right conditions and to get to know each other better, especially for those who have just arrived." Between these, Marianucci and Beukema, his new teammates: "They're excellent at man-marking, and we'll help them learn our automatic skills. They're applying themselves really well."

In midfield, the player who has fans dreaming is Kevin De Bruyne. But Buongiorno was impressed by more than just his talent: “His humility surprised me. He fit in right away, gives advice, and works with everyone. He's one of us.” Moving forward, the weight of the attack will be entrusted to Lucca: “It will help us in terms of structure and physical presence, but it will require a lot of work from everyone.”

Vincenzo Scarpa

Vincenzo Scarpa, Journalist for Cronache della Campania and
Political Science student at the University of Naples Federico II.
Passionate about all types of sports, he loves to write and talk mainly about football.