“Hirving is an important player for us, he underperformed last year,” said the coach.
Gennaro Gattuso, Napoli coach, assured Wednesday that he misses Hirving Lozano, mainly because of how he has grown over the season, and that his team has barely fourteen first-team players to face the Andalusian team, but he doesn’t want this to be a excuse.
“Lozano is an important player for us, last year he had a performance that was below his capabilities. He’s low like many others, but we have Politano, with Insigne doing well. We hope to recover many players as soon as possible.” , he assured.
The quarterback added that his team cannot cry over the huge casualties with which they face next Thursday’s round of 32 Europa League first leg against Granada, which he considers an “atypical Spanish team”.
“We have an emergency, we know, but we haven’t been here on vacation. We want to have a great game and a great Naples will be needed,” Gattuso said at the press conference prior to the Nuevo Los nomination. Cármenes Stadium.
“We cannot cry, we have to face the games and take it seriously,” added the Italian coach.
Naples arrives in Granada without counting on the Colombian goal David Ospina, the Greek Kostas Manolas, the Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, the Albanian Elseid Hysaj, the Algerian Faouzi Ghoulam, in defense, the German Diego Demme, in the middle of the field, nor with the Mexican Hirving Lozano, the Belgian Dries Mertens and Andrea Petagna in front.
The Italian coach also denied that Granada’s lack of experience in European competitions, given that Diego Martínez’s men are in their first experience, could be decisive.
“I think it is not a matter of experience. We measure ourselves with a tough team, with clear characteristics. For them it is a great event, we know we will have to fight. Granada is not easy to deal with, I have seen. how they are technically good towards the teams, ”he explained.
“Characteristic is necessary, but also technical. It is an atypical Spanish team, they know what to do, they move with speed and you have to respect them, I don’t want to speak of experience”, he continued.