Garcia Felt ‘Disrespected’ After Napoli’s Loss Against Fiorentina
Napoli manager Rudi Garcia felt disrespected after a 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina. However, he insists that President Aurelio De Laurentiis supports him.
The French coach seemed close to being sacked at the beginning of the October break, with President De Laurentiis reportedly in talks with Antonio Conte.
During an interview, Garcia was asked about his preparations for the upcoming game against Hellas Verona and how he felt about the recent defeat to Fiorentina at Stadio Maradona.
“This is a press conference ahead of the game with Hellas Verona, so I will reply to this question, and then I will only accept questions about the game,” said the French coach.
“I am calm, and if I reply firmly, it doesn’t mean I am irritable. To say that I didn’t appreciate what happened after the Fiorentina game is an understatement. I felt I had been disrespected.
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“However, I thank the journalists who supported me and the fans who encouraged me. I think it was exaggerated. I am not saying we did everything well, but we didn’t get everything wrong either. I wasn’t happy because I felt the whole thing was disproportioned,” he continued.
“What matters is the team, the staff, and the rapport with the club directors and the President, who continued supporting me yesterday. Not everything went well, especially against Fiorentina after four or five good games. I take responsibility; now it’s important to beat Verona. We have three important games in one week.”
De Laurentiis expressed confidence in Garcia, dismissing Conte rumours as mere gossip. Garcia faced questions about the upcoming match as the Partenopei prepare to visit Verona tomorrow.
“Osimhen and Anguissa are out, but I am not one who complains; I trust those who will play. We’ve built the team with three centre-forwards; we have Simeone and Raspadori, so we are covered.
“In midfield, it’s different. We signed Cajuste for this. He can play as a Mezzala, but also as a playmaker; he will replace Frank with quality.
“It’s always a tough game in Verona. It’s hard to win, but this is our target. We must do well with and without the ball because they don’t concede many goals. It’s a difficult game, but my staff and I are ready,” continued Garcia.
“The state of mind will be important. Attitude comes first, followed by tactics. The guys are motivated; I am sure about it; we’ll prove it together. We want to win at all costs; it’s an important game.
“Rahmani has trained regularly this week and has recovered. He can play with Natan or Ostigard. I am happy with the defensive partnership of the last few games. Hopefully, Juan Jesus will return soon too.”
During the post-match interview, Garcia was asked about the players’ irritability when they were substituted. Although it was not related to the game with Verona, he responded, “It’s not a question about the game with Verona, but it’s something De Laurentis and I discussed yesterday,” confirmed Garcia.
Credit source: Football Italia
