We had an exclusive chat with calcio expert James Horncastle about Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli, Juventus Champions League chances and Italy optimism.
You can see James in person along with James Richardson and Paolo Bandini at the one-off Gazzetta Football Italia – Live, Londra Edizione at Union Chapel in Islington on June 19.
We had an exclusive chat with calcio expert James Horncastle about Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli, Juventus Champions League chances and Italy optimism.
You can see James in person along with James Richardson and Paolo Bandini at the one-off Gazzetta Football Italia – Live, Londra Edizione at Union Chapel in Islington on June 19.
Part One of our exclusive interview, including details of how he used to write for us, is HERE.
Can Juventus win the Champions League next season or have they missed the best window of opportunity they’ll ever have?
“I think they can. I don’t buy the idea that this is the end of a cycle. They changed 16 players between the Finals in Berlin and Cardiff. That’s a rebuild. Generally I thought Juventus made big steps forward in the Champions League this season.
“If you forget the second half of the final for a moment, they looked so at ease in the knock-outs and won all of their ties by three clear goals. I haven’t seen an Italian team as at ease with itself and able to impose themselves against Europe’s elite in a long time.
“True, the core is ageing but Juventus’ succession planning is second to none. The kids waiting in the wings are really good and I like how they’re approaching this transfer window.
“I know they have other needs, particularly in wide areas after the switch to 4-2-3-1, and that they don’t have quite as fat a cheque book as Barça, but let’s play fantacalcio for a moment: I’d love to see them bring Verratti back to Italy.”
Fabio Capello said Maurizio Sarri created an innovative style of football on a par with Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan and Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka. Is that an accurate assessment?
“Don Fabio also said Guardiola has sent us all to sleep and Sarri is now waking us up. I think the biggest endorsement of all comes from Sacchi himself, and compliments from Sacchi aren’t easy to extract, as Max Allegri well knows. I remember Sacchi signed off one post-match interview with Sarri this season by simply saying “Thanks for the emozioni” – a Napoli performance had stirred emotions within him.
“His teams play the most orchestral football in Europe and he deserves the Panchina d’Oro and Bearzot awards. How he went ‘undiscovered’ for so long boggles the mind and makes you wonder who else we are missing?”
How could the Francesco Totti situation have been handled differently?
“This is hard because it’s an existential thing. You have to ask what is Roma? Is it the club or is it Totti? Because no club is more defined by one player than Roma. I think that’s why the last two years have been so emotionally wrought. I can see both sides.”
What do you make of Italy’s squad going towards the 2018 World Cup?
“I’m cautiously optimistic. Obviously Italy have still got to get there first and the game against Spain in Madrid in September is effectively a play-off [before another potential play-off]. The generation coming through is very strong. Not just at Under-21 level, but with the Under-20s too.
“Imagine if Antonio Conte was back in charge for Euro 2020 and implemented the 3-4-2-1 he’s been using at Chelsea this season. You could have a starting XI that looks a little something like this: Donnarumma; Caldara, Rugani, Romagnoli; Spinazzola, Gagliardini, Verratti, Conti; Berardi, Bernardeschi; Belotti. As Larry David might say: Pretty, pretty good.”