Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli confirmed once again that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is not on the market, and reiterated that the club’s success this season has been a team effort. The Partenopei director was talking with Mediaset ahead of their Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt and touched on the importance of Luciano Spalletti’s coaching, why there are no starters and backups in the team and whether Victor Osimhen is as valuable as Kylian M’Bappe:
“We don’t have any obligation to anyone, we only have the obligation to work hard every day and do our best every game. Dreaming is not forbidden, neither in the league nor in the Champions League. Let’s go on the field calmly, knowing that it will be a very delicate and very difficult game.”
How crucial has Spalletti been to Osimhen’s growth?
“He’s always done well since his first year, he’s had bad luck with very serious accidents and injuries that set him back a bit. This year he has continuity, but he also did well last year. Playing with continuity and with the great work of the coach he achieved important results.”
Are we exaggerating if we say Osimhen is worth a Haaland or Mbappé?
“He is an important footballer, as are others here. It is the group that is making the difference, without envy, with many starters and no reserves. The coach is doing a great job from the point of view of resources. Osimhen is a very important player, but we believe the rest of the team is as well.”
Why do you think Mathias Olivera is playing?
“I don’t know. The coach chooses from time to time and today he chose another starter. Here there are no starters and reserves, we have interchangeable players. Mario Rui has played so many games in the last two months and tonight Olivera is playing, I don’t see where the problem is.”
When did you realize you could do something big this season?
“We started from afar, signing footballers we had been following for some time. We had very clear ideas. Everything married together with the coach. So far there have been extraordinary results. The conviction came to us as we went along, there is no one moment. We knew we got some very good players, then the matches did the rest. We also have great qualities in the coach and staff, the merits are from everyone, from the president to the director to the players. Tonight could be another stage that makes us realize that.”
How much is Kvaratskhelia worth today? Above €100 million?
“I don’t want to disappoint you, but the market has not started and I don’t like to give numbers. I like to talk about concrete things. He is not on the market right now, then I don’t know what he can be worth, time will tell and what he will do in the future. He is a great footballer, we hold on to him, then we will see what the future will say.”
