With Serie A set to return with a big match featuring Napoli, facing Roma, the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis was interviewed in Florence. In comments given to Sky Sport, De Laurentiis went over many topics about his Napoli team: "What I want to see when we turn the page? The Scudetto, without question, but the Champions League wouldn't make me unhappy! The true objective is the Scudetto. There are many games, and the games against the big teams require so much concentration, and then you decide to relax against the other teams. We've always spoke out about there being too many games, I never want to have international fixtures during the league season. We have to have FIFA and UEFA decide to coordinate them over different periods.
Is Sarri the best coach? Every manager is the best during his own historical period. You couldn't say for instance that Allegri is better than Conte. Sarri is a great coach coming up from the lower leagues, then he caught on with Empoli in Serie A and with Napoli has been part of an incredible rise. The beauty of Sarri is that he is a mature child. He doesn't shy away from innovation, he is always studying. He is not a footballing theorist. He studies and experiments.
My long term plans? I want to stay many years at Napoli and win many Scudetti, not just one. Winning a Scudetto eventually would be a great mark. Mertens candidate for Ballon d'Or? I worked for a year to renew him, and now I am enjoying this moment. Ventura? Every Italy national team manager has his struggles, because you have to bring in players from all the differnt teams. Coaching a national team is the most difficult job. But here is advice for him: Ventura, give up the 4-2-4.
The match against Roma? It's a difficult one, it's important. Di Francesco has come into a challenging environment and he has succeeded with many solutions without often having all his players. I give praise to Di Francesco. It will be a match on a knifepoint, especially because we're returning from the cursed international break. Guardiola - Sarri would I swap them? Never, I will hold onto Sarri. He is still growing, Guardiola has gotten a recent burst of his old form. The anti-Juve for now are us. Then you could mention Milan, Roma, Inter."
