After joining Napoli in January, former RB Leipzig midfielder Diego Demme has earned immediately a spot in Gattuso's starting XI. The 28-year-old discussed his first few months in Napoli in an interview with Bild: "My first game at the San Paolo was touching. And I rembember also the atmosphere of the Barcelona game, incredible. It gives me goosebumps every time I think about it. Gattuso? He played me as soon as I arrived and things worked out fine. For me it's an honour that he believed in me, he and Pirlo have always been my fotballing role models. The fact that he wanted me at Napoli is amazing, his football philosophy is similar to Nagelsmann's, they put a lot of focus of ball possession".
His move to Napoli was also special for his father, Vincenzo, who has always had the partenopei in his heart: "When I signed with Napoli, my dad cried. He comes at the stadium almost every day. When I was a child they taught me that Maradona is a legend, he will always belong to Napoli. Many people highlight the fact that I have a significant first name, but I can't and I don't want to compare myself to Maradona. In Leipzig people stopped me in the street for a selfie, while in Napoli people recognize me all the time. People are crazy about football here. When I was a child I always refused to speak Italian, but now I am getting better at speaking it".
