Spalletti on TV: "I've disappointed expectations. The Scudetto? Napoli are still the favorites."

From the pinnacle of Italian football with Napoli, champions of Italy, to the most painful misstep of his career with the national team.

Luciano Spalletti, former Italy coach, reflected on his recent career with clarity and bitterness, appearing as a guest on #nonsolomercato on Rai 2, hosted by Paolo Paganini and supervised by Marco Lollobrigida.

"With the national team, I felt like I was in heaven," he said, "but I wasn't able to contribute anything. I'm sorry I disappointed expectations; I take full responsibility. I chose the players myself, and the Federation supported me. I didn't contribute to the team's growth, and that weighs on me."

"I'm someone who does things with feeling. Nothing slips away from me, everything consumes me."

Harsh words, especially when spoken by a coach who just a year ago, at the helm of Napoli, had written a page in history by winning a 33-year-awaited Scudetto, with spectacular and dominant football. But Spalletti He doesn't look for excuses: "I'm a man who does things out of feeling, not out of interest. Nothing slips by me, everything consumes me."

The Tuscan coach defended his decisions: "I would keep all the players I called up. Some have had difficult moments physically or mentally, but I believe they are quality. Now I wish Gattuso the best of luck; I think he will call up most of the players I selected."

A look at Italian football as well: "It's not regressing. We have very strong coaches in Serie A. The favorites for the Scudetto are Napoli, Inter, Milan, and Juve, but I'm hoping for some surprises. Napoli has a solid foundation and a club that has worked extremely hard. For me, they're still the team to beat."

Spalletti, who brought enthusiasm and beautiful play under Vesuvius, is now calmly awaiting a new adventure: "I have no preferences; I'll see if something important comes along. To overcome the poor performance I made, I'll need a sensational project that will allow me to recreate a climate of affection and unity with the players. Football thrives on results."

And he closes with a reflection on sporting philosophy, the one that has always accompanied him: “Football is simple, but simplicity is only the starting point, not the arrival point.”