Former Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli spoke with TWM about the Scudetto race, Motta’s new Juventus, while also touching on the National team. The former national team coach has clear ideas on who will fight until the end for the title based on the early indications from the championship:
“Napoli and Inter are the teams that are a bit more ready, more structured. They have a superior ability to read the game and many solutions with substitutions. These are two teams that will fight for victory until the end. The others are gradually trying to find the famous balance: when you change a lot, it takes some time.”
Regarding Conte’s impact on Napoli, Prandelli said, “The ability to influence the market is a merit, a great quality. Generally, a coach needs two to three months to give an imprint to a team that starts with a new mentality right away. Napoli’s technical structure is a bit like it was two years ago, and this is fortunate: Conte has changed certain things, but when you start from such solid foundations, you can have the concept of group and team even in a short time.”
On Juventus under Motta, Prandelli commented, “They need more time. Even yesterday, you could see that they’re trying to do certain things on the field, but then they execute them with different timings. It takes a bit more time, more conviction. Maybe remove something, but do it a bit faster. They’re following a path but not doing it naturally; they have to think about it. And when you think, the ball moves more slowly.”
Discussing Vlahovic’s situation, Prandelli stated, “For fans, when you’re the center-forward, you always have to score goals. He’s scoring goals, playing for the team, and physically I’ve seen him much better than at other times. He just needs to stay calm, serene, and follow the coach’s advice.”
On the national team and Spalletti, Prandelli observed, “I see a much more serene Spalletti: always determined, but he’s transmitting values in a slightly different way. Perhaps the players have perceived that they will never be alone, that the coach will always be there to defend them against everything and everyone, so we hope they can continue to improve.”
Regarding Retegui, Prandelli shared, “He’s a striker who arrived in Italy without being conditioned by anything, a type of center-forward we haven’t seen for many years. Old school: from another school, another culture. Our attackers in the last 15 years have disappeared because since childhood they’re used to coming towards the ball, playing for support. Instead, Retegui attacks the depth, lives for the goal.”
Finally, on Balotelli’s potential move to Genoa, Prandelli said, “I’m happy because if he accepts such a challenge, it means he’s prepared. I believe he can still give us something important, we all hope for it, and especially Gila, whom I care about. I send him a big hug.”
