Napoli goalkeeper Rafael Cabral hopes the win in the Supercoppa Italiana on Monday will give his team the push they need for the rest of the year.
Rafael made the last stop in the penalty shoot-out against Juventus, which Napoli won 6-5 after 120 minutes ended 2-2 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
“Today I am happy,” the 24-year-old told Rai. “I made my contribution, and the win is for the whole squad.
“We were very good in a tough match, and we played until the end.
Napoli currently sit in fourth in Serie A as they ended 2014 with only one win in their last five Serie A matches, and it’s that lack of consistency that concerns Rafael.
“We talk a lot about this in the dressing room because we do well against the big teams and then in Serie A we lose many points,” he said. “We are trying to find balance and we’re waiting for Serie A to resume to do better.
Rafael took over the starting spot this season after Pepe Reina completed his loan spell and since returning from a cruciate ligament injury, Rafael has managed to start in all 16 Serie A games for Napoli.
“I try to improve every day,” he said. “We are strong and we can go far with humility.
“I don’t listen to much criticism, I know what I can do.
“I recovered from a serious injury but now I feel good.”
Napoli resume action in Serie A with an away trip to Cesena on January 6.
