Appearing on `1 Football Night`, a radio program aired on 1 Station Radio, journalist Luca Cerchione, director of the Campanian radio station, shared his thoughts. Below is an excerpt of his statements.
Would Napoli do well to continue relying on Lukaku next season? How do you rate his performance?
Cerchione discussed Romelu Lukaku: “Lukaku was brought in to help Napoli reach the Champions League, and in that regard, he was decisive. Napoli secured their Champions League spot early. When he arrived near the market deadline, I gave him six months to get in shape since he missed training camps. I expected the real Lukaku by late January/early February. Instead, his performances were inconsistent throughout the season. As the team`s highest-paid player, his fluctuating form was impactful. He also lacked a true backup; Simeone wasn`t a natural replacement, and Raspadori played alongside him rather than instead of him. Lately, Lukaku has been somewhat disappointing. Hopefully, his goals or assists can help Napoli win the Scudetto in the final match against Cagliari. It would be a nice, romantic moment if he scored his first brace for the club then.”
Simeone was involved in the highly debated penalty incident where it was revoked. Do you think the VAR protocol was followed correctly on that occasion?
On the controversial penalty incident involving Simeone: “In my opinion, the referee was sent to the on-field review because he didn`t see Simeone`s touch on the Parma defender. Once shown the image, he deemed it a foul. We could debate this endlessly, but ultimately, all`s well that ends well. However, this incident could have awarded the Scudetto to Inter, which wouldn`t have been fair. I advocate for a universal VAR protocol and incorporating a former player in the VAR room to explain real game dynamics to referees. I also propose having a representative from each club in the Lissone VAR room for transparency. Regarding the specific incident, I`ve seen numerous replays but can`t say definitively if it was a foul. Personally, I don`t think VAR should have intervened as it wasn`t a clear and obvious error. Simeone touches the opponent, yes, but he also gets the ball. To me, it was a normal challenge. Naturally, re-watching it on the monitor often leads to it being called a foul, but this alters the nature of the game.”
Napoli will play on Friday, not Sunday. Is this fair, in your opinion? How can we solve the problem of an increasingly congested calendar?
Addressing the fixture congestion: “Perhaps a return to an 18-team league could be a solution; that would be a significant first step. We also need to address national team breaks. Breaks for European, World Cup, or Copa America qualifiers are fine, but not for competitions like the Nations League, which is useless and avoidable. Breaks for mere friendlies further disrupt the calendar. With the Club World Cup now scheduled at season`s end, perhaps a single, definitive national team break could occur then. There`s also the issue of the final matchday not being played simultaneously. Not having all games at the same time is frustrating. Many of us grew up listening to games on the radio, experiencing all the emotions in real-time – something unique that today`s twenty-year-olds might not grasp. It was romantic, authentic football. If, hypothetically, Napoli were to win the Scudetto, how would you manage a Friday/Saturday night celebration in a city like Naples? This is something that should have been considered.”
Will Conte stay at Napoli?
Finally, on Antonio Conte`s future: “There are conditions, as I`ve been saying since January. That said, the definite information I have is that President De Laurentiis will do everything to keep him, as he wants to continue the project with the coach. However, he won`t be left empty-handed; he`s exploring options and has already sounded out Massimiliano Allegri, among others. I`d add that if Conte`s demands include €200 million for transfers without any player sales, I`d consider that an excuse to leave, as we all know that figure is unreachable without sacrificing at least one key player. In summary, Napoli wants to continue with him; as for Conte`s intentions, we will discover those.”