Napoli, Sarri: "We showed that we belong in the Champions League"

Satisfied and emotional, but always with his his feet firmly on the ground, focused on the next objective. Maurizio Sarri spoke at a press conference after his team won 4-2 against Benfica in the second matchday of the Champions League. Amidst all of the satisfaction, there were a few minutes of regret in the second half where Napoli could have managed the match better. "Benfica are one of the best in the world, and for months they never lost an away match. We showed that we could be right there with them in terms of our playing style, but we still need to improve at managing the game. The guys played a great game tonight. The only regret? Letting them back into the game. It was our fault, not their merit. That's a lesson that will teach us well: at this level you can never back off. Maksimovic? A wonderful debut. He was expected to play this weekend in Bergamo, but got a chance tonight. He demonstrated that the perseverance of Giuntoli, who wanted him at all costs, was worth it. Giaccherini? For us, he will be an important player. He's returning to form after his injury: today I put him in and he held the ball very well. The most beautiful aspect of the match? When, after Mertens' goal, Insigne ran 50 meters to go and hug him. Emotions? There were a lot. The environment of tonight's match was different from Kiev. You could already sense it from the subways: the stadium quickly gave us a helping hand. When the fans scream "Champions," it remains imprinted on you like a tattoo. It's hard to explain what it feels like. For us, this game is a confirmation that we can play at this level. It can give us enthusiasm for the days ahead, but we must be careful. The team has to understand that the focus should be on Atalanta. If you lose focus, you risk losing the game. But this is a mature team that does not run those risks." @GIANMARCalciO