Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has laughed off suggestions that his side got an easy Champions League quarter-final draw after being pitted against Milan.
The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals took place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon this afternoon and the fact there were no restrictions on who could face who meant an all-Italian clash between Milan and Napoli came out of the pot.
The Partenopei will of course be the heavy favourites going into the two-legged affair next month given they are runaway league leaders and have been in formidable form in European competitions too, topping a group with Liverpool and Ajax in.
Spalletti commented on the Champions League draw on the microphones of Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli and reacted to the news that his team will face off against a domestic rival, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
“The match against Eintracht was complicated because when everyone says you’ve already gone through, it creates fearful tension since everyone takes it for granted and then it becomes very complicated,” he said.
“There was a lot of happiness because it was our goal, then everything that comes will be well accepted and you will be able to play with a lot of mental freedom. It is a happiness that however lasts until the next round because the fans deserve more joy.
“I would have preferred not to meet an Italian side, only the incompetent speak of a good draw. Milan are the Champions League and only Maldini has won five. In recent days I have read that PSG and City are struggling to go all the way because they lack experience in this competition.
“Well, if this is true then Milan are favourites to win the final. A team that eliminated Tottenham, so we remain objective. Who says we’re on the easy side of the board? And doesn’t that apply to Inter, Milan and Benfica? We need to be balanced in evaluations.
“We know Milan well, a team that has overcome the moment of difficulty and now I see constant growth thanks to the skill of its coach. We will face a great opponent and whoever is better at reading the game on the pitch will win. Milan are a very important opponent in all respects.”
