The Italian tried to calm the narrative amid alleged disputes with Pep Guardiola and Paolo Maldini.
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has stressed he has no problem with Pep Guardiola and Paolo Maldini, insisting he is an admirer of both men.
Previously, Guardiola hailed Napoli as the strongest team in Europe. Spalletti then dismissed the Manchester City coach’s comments. He played them down as a ploy to ‘build us up, so they can knock us down’.
On Monday, Guardiola responded to this claim, saying: “I don’t want to talk about Napoli because the manager will be grumpy with me. So sensitive in Italy.”
Luciano Spalletti after Pep Guardiola called him sensitive
“First and foremost when you speak about Pep Guardiola, I for one stand up because I’ve learned so much from him” [📹 @patrickendrick ] #Pep #ReInventingTheGame
— The Pep (@GuardiolaTweets) April 11, 2023
Spalletti clears the air
On the eve of Napoli’s Champions League quarter-final against AC Milan on Tuesday, Spalletti changed his stance. The Italian told reporters in a press conference that he took Guardiola’s comments as a compliment.
“I learned a lot from Guardiola,” Spalletti said.
“Everyone has learned something from Guardiola. For me, Guardiola is like [Jurgen] Klopp, [Roberto] De Zerbi, all the amazing managers.
“Guardiola, Klopp, and De Zerbi are among the football managers I always look at. So if my expression was misunderstood by Guardiola, I’m sorry because I’m truly happy when a manager like him says good words about Napoli.
“It would take me days and days to appreciate Guardiola’s former Barcelona.”
As for Maldini, Spalletti was caught on camera in a tunnel dispute with the former defender during Napoli’s 4-0 home defeat to AC Milan in Serie A on April 2.
The 64-year-old played down the incident, claiming it could be seen as a ‘standard chat’ or a ‘small fight’. He added that a Maldini shirt hangs on his wall and that he is ‘totally OK with him’.
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