Luciano Spalletti was keen to ensure his team and everyone connected with the club keep their feet on the ground after a superb week which saw enthusiasm sky-rocket in the city.
A 3-1 victory over Torino last weekend coupled with a stunning 6-1 demolition of Ajax in midweek means the Azzurri sit top of the pile in both domestic and continental competitions. However, the veteran coach knows only too well how quickly things can change in football and urged his men not to let their efforts drop going into Sunday's fixture with Cremonese.
“We're keeping the promise we made ourselves with regard to our commitment and motivation. We're not surprised because this is how we should work – with belief, effort and consistency. We're happy about this positive spell we're enjoying but our attitude hasn't changed. Problems and difficulties will arise and we must be ready to overcome them. If you want to be a winner, you have to be able to adapt to anything and maintain a high performance level.
“Everyone is giving heart and soul to turn our fans' desires into reality. We must do all we can to make the Neapolitans' joy long-lasting.
“We're not getting carried away within the club but we're aware that we have the possibility to achieve the things our fans expect of us. I think the supporters are maintaining a sense of perspective too.
“We're playing some great football at the moment but football your results need to be consistent and you can go from hero to zero from one day to the next.”
The boss also provided an update on Victor Osimhen's condition.
“We need to be careful with Osimhen. He's not fully fit yet so we've decided to have him rest for this one so that he has the time he needs to recover. It's a decision taken after his medical tests because we've already had to do without him for a long time once before. We don't want to take any risks. Victor will stay behind and keep working here over the next few days.”
