Napoli director Mauro Meluso expressed his optimism for the future under new manager Francesco Calzona and defended star player Kvicha Kvaratskhelia following his controversial substitution during the Champions League match against Barcelona.
Calzona, who previously served as an assistant manager under both Maurizio Sarri and Luciano Spalletti, took the helm of the team just 48 hours before facing Barcelona. Despite the short timeframe, Meluso believes Calzona’s familiarity with the club and players positions them well for success. “Having seen just a few training sessions,” Meluso remarked, “we already feel the team is on the right track.”
Meluso also addressed the recent controversy surrounding Kvaratskhelia, who displayed visible frustration upon being substituted in the Barcelona match. “Kvara did not behave unprofessionally,” he stated. “Any player would be unhappy with being substituted, regardless of their performance.” Meluso further clarified that Kvaratskhelia himself admitted to being dissatisfied with his own performance, not the coach’s decision.
While the article briefly mentions Juventus’ win over Frosinone and their current position in the league table, it primarily focuses on the situation at Napoli under new coach Calzona and the Kvaratskhelia incident.