In an attempt to bring our readers an exclusive, our latest Napoli Club Focus takes a slightly different twist to previous weeks. Whereas other sites are happy to churn out the repetitive views of so-called football pundits, we have managed to get an exclusive word from one of Napoli’s most fervent supporters, a fan that travels hundreds even thousands of miles each year, so that he can follow his beloved football team.
This week, Club Focus presents to you the thoughts and opinions of Partenopei ‘Ultra’ Marcello Devizo. Marcello is Neapolitan born and bred and a regular at the San Paolo. We managed to catch up with him and get his analysis on the Azzurri’s season so far…
Napoli Club Focus: Let’s get straight to it Marcello. What are your thoughts on the two point penalty and player ban Napoli received for the attempted match fixing?
Marcello Devizio: I was very disappointed to be honest. As a Napoli supporter I don’t believe the club should have been punished for something they were not aware of. For Grava and Cannavaro maybe I would say the ban could stand, but to fix a game of football it would take more than three players to do it especially when two players out of the three weren’t playing very much at the time. It’s a bizarre decision.
NCF: And how do you feel about Matteo Gianello who made the allegations?
MD: Gianello should have concentrated in trying to do what he supposedly does best, play football and earning his money on the pitch. I strongly believe cheats always become exposed and Gianello is no different.
NCF: You beat Roma handsomely this weekend, do you think this was due to a wasteful Roman side (25 shots and one goal) or did Napoli more than merit the 4-1 victory?
MD: Napoli are one of the best footballing sides to watch in Serie A, especially with their offensive play. They have been playing with a back three for many years now and plenty of teams have started to follow that trend, even La Nazionale during the last Euros. Playing this system you will always give the opposition chances but when you have quality attacking players as Napoli does right now, you can always compensate for that. This is why we managed to beat Roma whilst giving them so many opportunities to score.
NCF: Morgan De Sanctis divides opinion. Some Napoli supporters think he is great whilst others feel he is the weak link in the team. I am told you were a goalkeeper yourself at amateur level, what do you think about him?
MD: At this moment in time De Sanctis is the perfect goal keeper for Napoli and I believe he will be for at least one more season. His experience counts for so much when you only play with three at the back. As an eventual replacement I would really like us to take Michael Agazzi from Cagliari, who I rate highly.
NCF: Walter Mazzarri’s future is unclear, do you still want him at the club next season or is it time for a change?
MD: Right now Walter is like having an extra man on the pitch. His passion is what Napoli supporters love but of course at some point I can see him leaving us and my preferred coach to take over would be either Vincenzo Montella or Stefano Pioli.
NCF: Goran Pandev played instead of Lorenzo Insigne on Sunday evening though both have had decent runs in the team. Who would you rather play alongside Edinson Cavani and why?
MD: Without a doubt Pandev. His experience is what this young side needs right now. Insigne should feature regularly next season but that kid will be a massive star, trust me.
NCF: Let me ask you about Cavani – does every player have a price or would a possible sale spell disaster for the club?
MD: No I don’t believe it would spell disaster at all. At this moment in time you could say he is one of the best if not THE best striker in the world. But what you need to consider, in my opinion, is that Napoli play for Cavani, not the other way around and this style is not sustainable. However, if you can get 65-70 million euros for the player and your owner spends that money on the team then I’m certain we could build a good football team with an exciting future with top players. But this would only be acceptable if the money from any sale was spent on the team.
NCF: Can he be compared to Diego Maradona in terms of how crucial he is to the club’s success or was Diego just on a different level?
Marcello Devizio (centre) at the San Paolo
MD: There will only ever be one Maradona but I compare Cavani more with the Brazilian Careca who played along side Maradona. Let me be clear, right now Napoli play for Cavani but Maradona, he MADE Napoli.
NCF: What were your hopes for Napoli at the start of the season and what are they now that we are half way through?
MD: I thought we had a good chance to win the league and I still believe we can. If you stop believing why bother believing in the first place? Juventus are in the Champions League and have to come to the San Paolo to play us so I think we do have a chance. No matter what, we will be back in the Champions League next season.
NCF: What players would you like to see arrive at the San Paolo during this Winter transfer window?
MD: Pablo Armero, Ciro Immobile, Diego Criscito, Salvatore Bocchetti and Emanuele Calaio would all be very welcome additions. The dream arrival would certainly be Luis Suarez from Liverpool to partner Cavani though I suspect that would be a very difficult transfer to conclude!
NCF:If your team doesn’t win the Scudetto, which other club could you just about stomach taking the title this season?
MD: Well if Napoli don’t lift the trophy at the end of the season then perhaps it wouldn’t be so disastrous to see Fiorentina win it.
NCF: And finally Marcello, are their young Napoli primavera players that you are aware of that we should keep an eye on for the future?
MD: Roberto Insigne and Soma Novothny are worth looking out for. I think Roberto will become even better then his brother Lorenzo. The future is bright for Napoli!
Well, some very revealing insight from the Curva. We would like to thank Marcello for his time and the frank and honest opinions about his club. Some very interesting thoughts, especially about Edinson Cavani and we will endeavor to talk to Marcello again at the end of the season to discuss the second half of the Partenopei season.
