Mario Rui has encouraged the San Paolo to give Maurizio Sarri a “very nice reception” when the former coach returns to Napoli as the Juventus coach.
Sarri brought some good times to the Neapolitans and left for Chelsea in the Premier League after 148 games at the helm of the Partenopei.
He returned to Italy last summer, to take over rivals Juventus, but Mario Rui goes a long way back with the coach and said he hopes he will be “welcome” on Sunday.
Mario Rui has encouraged the San Paolo to give Maurizio Sarri a “very nice reception” when the former coach returns to Napoli as the Juventus coach.
Sarri brought some good times to the Neapolitans and left for Chelsea in the Premier League after 148 games at the helm of the Partenopei.
He returned to Italy last summer, to take over rivals Juventus, but Mario Rui goes a long way back with the coach and said he hopes he will be “welcome” on Sunday.
“I think the coach will get a very nice reception after what he has done,” Mario Rui told Sky Sport Italia. “I have a very good relationship with Sarri, I started with him at Empoli. He’s the coach that changed me in every way.
“I hope and think that the people of Napoli will welcome him back after all he has done here.”
Mario Rui revealed that the new coach Gennaro Gattuso has a lot of “similarities” with Sarri and claimed there was never any problems in the group.
“Yes, especially in the way Gattuso wants the team to play, he wants us to keep the ball at the ground and play out of the back.
“There are many similarities, but then they all have something of their own and will never be the same.
“I was very happy to have worked with Sarri and now I am equally happy to be able to work with Gattuso.
“We are not a team who should have 24 points at this stage, but maybe we deserve this position right now. We have never had a group problem. It is true that there were problems, but above all on the pitch, because we couldn’t do what we were used to.”
The full-back has claimed that the win against Lazio in the Coppa Italia “doesn’t change everything” and praised Lorenzo Insigne.
“One good match doesn’t change everything, now we must give continuity to the match against Lazio and try to go again against Juventus on Sunday,” he added.
“It was never ‘Lorenzo against everyone’. He was certainly not helped, but the attitude, how he drives us, he wanted to help us and what we saw against Lazio, he has always given on the pitch.
“Fortunately, he was helped by the team. Lorenzo remains an extraordinary player, who can make a difference in any given moment.”
He will play against his compatriot and national teammate Cristiano Ronaldo this weekend and has praised the Portuguese superstar.
“Cristiano is the best player in the world, one of the best throughout history,” he said. “He is an idol and a source of inspiration. I can only wish him all the best, except on Sunday.”