Rudi Garcia Press Conference Ahead Of Fiorentina Match

Sky – I would ask you if against Fiorentina, considering that there is then the break, that you are looking for this continuity of encouraging signs that continue to arrive, perhaps the desire to beat a big club in Fiorentina, also considering the standings of course, is the match against Fiorentina the most important of your tenure so far?
Garcia:  I have the habit of saying the same thing because it is the truth, that the most important match is always the nexwatched t one. However, I agree with what you said. We are equal on points, we are in third, we want to secure this third place, remain in the top four and to do this we must win. This will be our objective, to beat a Fiorentina team that is making an important and quality start to the season.

Sport Italia – I wanted to know if you studied Fiorentina. Among other things, yesterday they played in Europe and above all they are a team who, even in the past, though they weren’t champions of Italy, they historically have always put Napoli in difficulty. Have you studied anything in particular or seen anything in particular and especially, will there be some turnover?
Garcia:  So there will still be training tomorrow to see who is well and who isn’t. At the moment it seems that everyone is fine. Then yes, we studied this Fiorentina who often changes players because they also have quality players. I obviously them yesterday. Their way of playing doesn’t change, even if the players change. A team that has quality, that is also strong offensively on crosses and headers. I think they’re one of the teams that has scored the most goals from headers in the championship. Then, they’re a team that is similar to us in the sense that they are capable of recovering the ball in the opponent’s half of the field. Perhaps we are first, they are second, or vice versa, I don’t remember, but it’s not important. So yes, we know who we are playing against but we are Napoli, we are at home, we have this objective. before the national break, to continue the win streak that we started against Udinese, then in Lecce. And therefore, I have always told the boys if we are able to achieve three victories in a row, then we will improve a lot in the standings, so that will be our objective.

Corriere dello Sport – Let’s do a mini cycle, Udinese, Lecce, Real Madrid. Many beautiful things, many, but some shadows. What is still missing for this Napoli to be Garcia’s Napoli? I’m not saying the one belonging to Garcia but the one that Garcia wants.
Garcia:  Even against Lecce, the good thing is that we didn’t concede any goals. But maybe being able to finish the games with a clean sheet helps you to win a lot given that we have significant offensive firepower. And therefore, we can improve this. We are the team that has conceded the fewest chances in Serie A and therefore it means that even if we are the team that allows the fewest shots, at least seven opponent shots per game, we don’t finish all these matches without conceding a goal. So on this defensive efficiency of the whole team, we can, in my opinion, do better and get a little angry about this fact, which is fine, and we must continue not give too much to the opponent. But the little that we do allow, we must not concede goals.

Corriere della Sera – I ask you if Rrahmani can be called up for Sunday, at least to start on the bench if he can recover, and if you could update us on the conditions of the other two injured players, Gollini and Juan Jesus/ What is the schedule for their return?
Garcia:  Gollini and Juan Jesus should resume with the group next week, I think, gradually.  For Amir, he did part with us today, let’s see tomorrow. Let’s see how he is, if he’s almost recovered. Obviously it’s not worth risking him but if he’s available there’s no point in leaving him out either.  Obviously if he is available, he won’t have 90 minutes in his legs, but we will evaluate him tomorrow, we still have one training session, and given that, if we are not in an emergency given that the Østigård/Nathan pairing is doing very well, obviously there will be need to take risks with Amir. The important thing is that he doesn’t go to the national team because otherwise he only plays for the national team.  He got hurt with the national team, he didn’t play with us and then returned to the national team. That would be a problem

Repubblica – A few days ago there were some very harsh words from Mario Rui’s agent towards you. Do you want to reply, do you want to say something?
Garcia:  If I reply every time an agent cries, I will spend all my time doing it. The important thing is the player. When you’re with the player every day, the important thing is to talk to him. I don’t talk to the agents and Mario came to me, we clarified, he obviously doesn’t agree with the things his agent said, and therefore we have a healthy, honest relationship with the player. Obviously he would like to play more but I like that he is motivated to take up more space, especially because he is an important player. I am lucky with this club because throughout my career I have looked for quality left backs in all the clubs I was at and therefore I am lucky to have two strong ones here. So it’s nothing, there’s nothing to say about this.  I can only say that the club has also managed this and this is how it must be.

Il Mattino – a curiosity, paradoxically, the bitter defeat against Real Madrid, who has a very important team in the Champions League. From a championship perspective, can a defeat, paradoxically, convey an awareness of having that determination, that ability, to live up to, not only to Real Madrid, but, in short, to being champions of Italy?
Garcia:  Yes, yes, it must be like this. The level we reached during this match, with more defensive efficiency in the future, we must put back on the field from Sunday. And on this, I agree that it can be a match where we played on equal terms with one of the best teams in the world, and this shows that we need to be strong. Now we need to maintain this level and I have full faith in my boys to do it, starting on Sunday.

Gazzetta dello Sport – I wanted to ask you a question about Lindstrom, who so far, in short, hasn’t found much space yet. I ask you if the adaptation process for inclusion is still underway or if perhaps you haven’t had the answers you wanted from the player so far.
Garcia:  a bit of both. He arrived late, like Nathan. So, when you arrive late it’s not easy to fit in, especially because we play in a totally different way than Frankfurt, where he played.  A team that waited longer that had more spaces, more counterattacks, and therefore yes, he’s learning the patterns. He can play on the flanks, also in support of a striker, but when he’s on the pitch, his performances must be better than what they have been so far. But let’s be patient, he works well in training. Obviously I do everything I can to help him, he just needs time, but he is an offensive player who can help us a lot in different ways.

Chronache di Napoli – On the basis of what you said just after answering the questions of our colleagues, how good or bad is it that the break is coming, given that Napoli are finding continuity and are finding a solution? Also, the question is related to what you said before about injuries and physical issues happening with the national teams.
Garcia:  This is the calendar, we don’t get to choose to keep playing when we’re doing well. But first, let’s make sure we win on Sunday because before a break you always have to get a positive result, so as not to give you cookies for 15 days, above all. And so, let’s concentrate on this and then we will obviously follow our players everywhere in the world. And the important thing for them is to win with their national teams, for us it’s to return without injuries.

Canale 8 – The performances of Østigård and Nathan have been absolutely satisfactory. I imagine that you share this opinion. Can they change the hierarchies in defense considering that, sooner or later, both Rrahmani and Juan Jesus will become available again?
Garcia:  We’ll see when the next comes because for the moment we don’t know, let’s see, the future will give us an answer.

Canale 21 – A mock goal like the one that was conceded in the match against Real Madrid, can it give more awareness or represent a limit in the boys’ minds?
Garcia:  I think you’re referring to the third goal? Above all we could have done better. It’s not like you let a player like Valverde shoot from 20 meters  from your goal without challenging him quickly and closing his strong foot, so it means that the details in these great matches make the difference, details which, perhaps, we could have managed better. I hope it will serve as a lesson for us throughout the rest of the season.

Il mio Napoli – I would like to know something more about this advice from the wise men that you mentioned. Is it something that you usually do, do you listen to them periodically, every week and ask them individually? What type is each of them, in short.
Garcia:  Look, I can tell you two things that I’ve always done in all the clubs I’ve been to, we can say, because I like it.  I even had it at some clubs as a joke. I also liked that those who weren’t there and who were more joyful, provided more advice to non-wise people, to joke. So this is a memory that I carry from Marseille. So I have always used this advice and I can tell you that, since the beginning of the season when I created them, I have always called him to talk about things and never the other way around. Voilà, and then who is part of the internal organization, I enjoy reading some of the predictions you make.