UDINE, ITALY – AUGUST 20: Napoli linked Giovanni Manna of Juventus during the Serie A TIM match between Udinese Calcio and Juventus at Dacia Arena on August 20, 2023 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Napoli director Giovanni Manna insists the Partenopei must not be ‘affected’ by pressure in the race for the Serie A title: ‘We are fighting for a dream.’
Napoli host strugglers Empoli at the Stadio Maradona tonight, in the final game of Serie A Round 32.
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s five Serie A games on the Liveblog.
The Partenopei are six points behind table leaders Inter, but have won just two games from the last nine.
“Each season is long and full of challenging moments. All it takes is to emerge from difficult moments, as we are doing,” Manna told DAZN before kick-off.
“We are fighting for a dream, so we must not feel too much pressure and only focus on the daily work.
“We must be proud. We’ve started from afar, building a team in its first year,” continued the Napoli director.
“We are in a position that makes us dream, but we must remain calm and not be affected by the pressure. There is pressure, but it must not be negative, and we must desire to win every game. Today, we face a team fighting for survival, so we must be ready even for a dirty game, with a desire to win it.”
There are already rumours about Napoli’s future, especially regarding their coach, but Manna does not look too far away.
“We are entirely focused on the present. Like everyone else, we are also working for the future and will plan ahead at the right moment. We are currently focused on the present because we are running for an important target,” he concluded.
The Stadio Maradona is once again sold out tonight with circa 50,000 Napoli fans in the stands.
Conte’s men have won 19 games from 31 this season, drawing eight and losing four times.
Napoli have scored 48 goals and conceded 25, resulting in the best defence in the league.
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