Alberto Fontana, former goalkeeper for Napoli, Inter, and Atalanta, among others, spoke on `1 Football Club`, a radio program hosted by Luca Cerchione on 1 Station Radio. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
This week features important matches, not only because games after a break are often unpredictable, but also because, for example, Napoli faces an equally unpredictable team like Milan. What kind of match do you expect?
“It`s not an easy match because Milan is coming off a truly complicated year where no objectives were met. Very important players arrived in January, but things aren`t working as they should. And it`s not easy to fix everything on the fly. Roma managed it with Ranieri, because he is a phenomenon, and Milan is also trying to do a miracle after replacing Fonseca with Conceicao. That being said, they are a team to respect, but at the moment I see Napoli as better. Furthermore, some Milan players haven`t been performing as they should in recent months. The first name that comes to mind is Maignan: for two years he was incredible, but for more than a year now, I`m not saying he`s a problem for Milan, but he`s no longer playing at the level of a starting Milan goalkeeper. I see him in a slight decline this season, objectively yes. In the first two years, he amazed everyone positively, he was fantastic. But this is not a passing crisis: it`s been a year since he was the same player. Probably, after the injury he had some time ago, he never returned to his levels.”
Alex Meret, on the other hand, has finally made the leap in quality this season?
“I believe that the love between Meret and Napoli never fully blossomed. Initially, between injuries and the arrival of Ospina, who did very well, there was never a spark. But he remains a very important goalkeeper, a guy who, given his age, has been playing at a high level for some time, has won a Scudetto, and is in the national team setup. If I had to build a team, I would take him. If I were Napoli, I would renew his contract.”
Why is Napoli offering Meret a contract renewal for only one year for the third time?
“This, in my opinion, is a sign that the club doesn`t fully believe in the guy. Furthermore, Napoli already has another young and very good goalkeeper: Caprile. Probably the club is thinking in terms of the future to best manage these two talents. The role of goalkeeper is delicate: there must be trust in the right conditions, otherwise, every time a goal is conceded, everyone turns to look for a culprit. It`s a sport within a sport, because, while being part of the team, he has enormous individual responsibility. Mistakes are remembered more than saves. For this reason, except for exceptions like Buffon, who are not the norm, a goalkeeper needs a few more years to fully mature. Whoever is already ready at 17-18 years old is an exception. We can say that with Meret and Caprile the team is well covered in goal, today and in the future, and perhaps it is precisely Caprile`s potential growth that is pushing Napoli to offer Meret annual renewals. It makes sense to think that the club cannot carry both forward forever. Given Caprile`s young age, it is likely that he will return to Napoli in the future. If he continues to play as he is doing in Cagliari, he will have earned his place on the field. No one gifted him anything, quite the opposite. He deserves credit for strongly requesting to go to Cagliari, a team that is fighting to avoid relegation. This shows that he wants to play and prove his worth. A courageous choice, and it is a choice that pleases me very much. Vicario comes to mind, who followed a similar path: from Cagliari he went to Empoli, where no one knew him, and today he is a world-class goalkeeper. Sometimes, dropping down a category to play is the right choice: it allows you to grow, to return with more experience, and to better face difficult moments, which will always come for a goalkeeper.”
Atalanta, before the break, suffered perhaps an unexpected defeat, considering that they had beaten Juventus with a resounding 4-0. In your opinion, were there more merits of Inter or demerits of Atalanta?
`I see more merits of Inter, even if I find Ederson`s expulsion exaggerated and it conditioned the match. Inter then managed the match perfectly. They have a well-defined game mentality and philosophy, thanks to the coach. They are a team that will be a nuisance until the end.`
So do you consider Inter the number one favorite for the Scudetto?
`No, not for me. I have already said in the past what I think. Inter is very strong, but they play many games and this can become a problem in the long run. I saw and see Napoli as the favorite for the Scudetto.”
Now that Napoli is back fighting at the top, after last season`s tenth place, how much is due to Antonio Conte?
`A lot. It`s useless to beat around the bush: the main credit is his. He brought mentality, hunger, and determination. When you see players who, despite being strong, start making more sliding tackles and fighting for every challenge, it means that the coach has managed to transmit something. Napoli had a strong squad last year as well, but last season was inexplicable. I believe that the first mistake was Rudi Garcia`s: when you inherit a team that has won the Scudetto, you can`t change everything, you can`t try to impress with special effects. Then, getting a team in difficulty back on track is never easy, so Conte deserves great credit. Conte`s Napoli did not start very well, but then they assimilated his concepts and gained momentum. Juventus, on the other hand, has spent 200 million and still does not have a clear starting lineup. At certain levels, this is unacceptable.`