Gattuso-Pirlo
In a highly-anticipated first clash between two former
stars of Italy and AC Milan now chasing coaching glory, Gennaro
Gattuso’s Napoli test their ‘Scudetto’ ambitions at Andrea Pirlo’s
Juventus on Sunday.
Both won the 2006 World Cup for Italy and spent a decade as AC
Milan teammates, winning two Serie A titles and two Champions
League crowns together.
It is a clash which Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte can’t wait
to see.
“Juve v Napoli? I’ll enjoy watching it,” said Conte, who coached
Pirlo as a player to the first three of Juventus’s current run of
nine Serie A titles.
“Napoli are underestimated a lot,” continued Conte.
“They are an excellent team, they are among the favourites for
the Scudetto.
“They have a staff and a very good coach who will make life
difficult for everyone.”
Gattuso begins his second season on the Napoli bench having
taken over from Carlo Ancelotti last December. The club finished
seventh but qualified for the Europa League after winning the
Italian Cup, their first trophy in six years.
Former Glasgow Rangers defensive midfielder Gattuso has been
coaching since he hung up his boots in 2013, with the bulk of his
footballing career spent at AC Milan.
He had stints at Sion, Palermo, Crete and Pisa before returning
to Milan where he trained the youth team before coaching the
first-team for 18 months.
The 42-year-old left Milan after the team missed the Champions
League by just one point.
By contrast, Pirlo, 41, had no coaching experience before taking
over from Maurizio Sarri, receiving his coaching diploma days
before the season kicked off.
“Well he’s stuck now! That’s the job,” quipped Gattuso on
hearing Pirlo’s appointment.
“He’s lucky to be starting at Juventus, but this profession is
one where a great playing career is not enough. You have to study,
to work hard, and you don’t get much sleep.”
– Coronavirus tests –
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This season Gattuso has the ambitious task of winning a first
Serie A title since the days of Napoli legend Diego Maradona in
1990.
Pirlo is counting on extending Juventus’s winning streak to 10
consecutive Serie A titles.
Napoli are top of the Italian league table after two games with
a win over Parma, and a 6-0 hammering of Genoa last time out.
Pirlo’s Juventus is a team “under construction”. They were held
2-2 by Roma last weekend.
As Napoli sit equal on maximum points with Inter Milan,
Atalanta, Hellas Verona and AC Milan, Juve have four points.
Napoli are awaiting the results of a second round of coronavirus
tests as last week’s opponents Genoa had 16 positive tests this
week, including 12 players.
Genoa’s game against Torino on Saturday has been postponed.
A first round of swabs at Napoli came back negative, with the
results of the second series of tests expected on Friday.
Inter, who have scored nine goals in their first two matches,
take on a Lazio hurting after their 4-1 defeat to Atalanta in the
Stadio Olimpico.
“Inter have been considered an outsider for many years, now we
have acquired credibility,” said Conte of last season’s
runenrs-up.
High-scoring Atalanta next host Cagliari with Hellas
Verona looking for a third consecutive win at Parma.
Roma head for Udinese looking for their first win, with the
north-easterners reeling after losing to promoted La Spezia, who
next challenge AC Milan.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Fiorentina v Sampdoria (1845)
Saturday
Sassuolo v Crotone (1300), Udinese v Roma (1845)
Postponed: Genoa v Torino
Sunday
Atalanta v Cagliari (1030), Benevento v Bologna, Lazio v Inter
Milan, Parma v Verona (all 1300), AC Milan v Spezia (1600),
Juventus v Napoli (1845)
-AFP