Napoli’s Meluso suggests Mazzarri might not gamble, considers retirement as an option
Mauro Meluso, the Director of Football for Napoli, has spoken out following the Italian champions’ defeat to Torino. His comments were made during an interview with DAZN post-match.
Meluso was seen expressing remorse over a “difficult moment” for the team. He said, “We waited for the coach to come down from the stands. We then had a small meeting with him before speaking to the team. It was a match for which we apologise to our fans. We are very sorry, the team is unrecognisable and we were indeed talking about bringing immediate changes to motivate the team and try to revert to normality.”
He also addressed the absence of some injured players and those who had gone to Africa Cup, including Politano and Juan Jesus, who were not at their best. But he insisted, “These are not excuses, but merely things to mention to fully explain the difficult situation that we’re in.”
In regards to the future course, he said, “We will come together at the training centre tomorrow and assess what needs to be done next.” On the topic of Coach Mazzarri, Meluso confirmed, “He enjoys the full confidence of myself, the club, and the team. No doubt about that.”
Discussions about Napoli’s difficulties and absences went beyond tactical matters too, he explained, “There is an undoubtedly different situation compared to last year in terms of performance. It’s clear to everyone. This was not an attempt to justify, but just considerations to understand every aspect.”
Underlining that those playing for Napoli must adequately compensate for any eventual defections, he said, “Nobody wants to hide, but it should be noted that to the current negative situation, other negative aspects have been added.”
Meluso concluded by saying, “We discussed other things, not tactical situations. I can’t disclose the content, but it revolved around corrections in different areas.” His words highlight the problems faced by Napoli and suggest a determination to change things for the better.