Motta: We expect it to be a great match

Following training (which involved tactics and pre-match preparation) Coach Thiago Motta spoke to the press ahead of the challenge against Napoli at the Allianz Stadium tomorrow evening. Motta underlined the importance of the home match which will kick off at 18:00 (CEST) on Saturday 21 September.

“We expect it to be a great match, with many talented players on show. We will be facing a tough opponent, but we will look forward to the challenge with concentration, a sense of responsibility and respect, whilst playing our football and implementing our style.

Federico Gatti's fitness and the squad availability

Motta took stock of Federico Gatti's fitness, amongst others: “Gatti is available, he trained well. Only [Francisco] Conceicao and [Arkadiusz] Milik will be unavailable for the match, but all the other players are fit.

The Coach’s relationship with Antonio Conte

“It was a great pleasure to work with Conte in the national team a few years ago; we faced strong opponents, but unfortunately we failed to achieve our goals. However, my relationship with him was fantastic and I learnt a lot from that experience.

Is it an Advantage or disadvantage not playing European competition?

“Who knows if it is an advantage? We have to take one game at a time, and the next one is against a team built to compete at the highest level, Napoli, who are an experienced side that has played extraordinary football. But we have to focus on our game, always trying to improve and put on a good performance for our fans; we will have to be compact, press together and stay together as a defensive unit. We can't allow ourselves to leave spaces between the lines, especially against players like [Kvicha] Kvaratskhelia or [Romelu] Lukaku who know how to take advantage of those situations. It will be fundamental to play the game in a way that suits us.

Motta added: “Everyone is training very well. My job is to choose those who are best suited for the next game. But there is room for everyone, the season is long and everyone, even those who only play a few minutes, can make a difference.”