Angelo Pagotto, former Napoli and Milan goalkeeper and now a coach, was a guest on `1 Football Club`, a radio program hosted by Luca Cerchione on 1 Station Radio. Below is an excerpt of the interview.
Empoli has decided to focus entirely on survival, giving up the chance to reach the Coppa Italia final. In your opinion, will they manage to stay up in the end?
In my opinion, they will fight until the very end. Empoli is used to playing seasons like this because they don`t have a high budget. It`s like this every year. The fans should be calm, because the fact that they are fighting for it means there`s a healthy and positive environment. After the 3-0 home defeat in the first leg, I think that in the players` minds, the Coppa Italia was already gone, but they still had a great Cup run, reaching the semi-finals.
Marianucci seems destined to be Napoli`s first signing for next season. What kind of defender is he? Do you think he`s ready for this step up?
Technically, he`s a valid player, he can certainly fit in. Then, of course, we need to see how he adapts to the new team and the new environment. A lot also depends on character: Naples is a very expressive place, and you need to know how to face and manage it.
Another of your former teams, Milan, reached the Coppa Italia final with a stunning 3-0 victory against Inter, who have achieved much more than the Rossoneri this season. Yet, on the field, the values seemed entirely in favour of Conceicao`s team…
Derbies are unique matches: the winner is the one who wants it more. Inter was coming off two demanding games, especially the one lost in the last minute against Bologna, which I think affected them psychologically. Milan is a team that, in a one-off game, can compete with anyone. Of course, a 3-0 scoreline is open to discussion, but everything went perfectly. Perhaps there`s more to discuss about Milan`s league position, given the quality of their squad. Milan has a high-level roster and probably could have aimed for something more in the league; they certainly had some problems, but they are a team worth a top-four position.
You stated that derbies are particular matches where motivation comes almost automatically. So, in your opinion, does the coach have a lesser impact? I`m referring specifically to what Conceicao has done, having replaced Fonseca: what has he brought to Milan?
In my opinion, he has brought more rules. Fonseca, from what I saw from the outside, was a gentleman, but sometimes you need both the carrot and the stick. You had to intervene with three or four players who once made a difference but haven`t lately. And I believe Conceicao, unlike Fonseca, has succeeded in that.
Inter, within a few days, lost against Bologna and Milan, saying goodbye to the Coppa Italia final and seeing Napoli catch up with them at the top. In your opinion, is a mini-crisis underway?
No, I wouldn`t call it a crisis. The seasons are long, there are many matches. I believe Inter has the strength to get out of this situation well. They will have a great Champions League run and will fight for the title until the end with Napoli. Everyone would like to win the treble, but it`s very difficult. Only Mourinho has done it in Italy in the last twenty years; there must be a reason. There are many competitions, and every match is tough. But Inter is there, fighting for the league title, they reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals and the Champions League semi-finals: it`s hard to ask for more.
Speaking of the league: if you had to bet on a team for the Scudetto today, would you choose Napoli or Inter?
At this moment, Napoli is psychologically better. They also have a slight advantage in the calendar, and they must exploit it. If everything goes as it should, they could even play for the Scudetto in the direct clash at San Siro. At that point, it would be a nice advantage for Inter, but it all depends on how they arrive at that match.
Elia Caprile, owned by Napoli but currently on loan at Cagliari, is having a great season. Would you bring him back to Napoli?
Yes, I`ve always said that. For me, he could be the starting goalkeeper for Napoli, I see no reason why he shouldn`t return. But there`s that clause in favour of Cagliari, and if they stay up, I think they will exercise it. He`s doing well there, he has a coach who believes in him. So either Cagliari doesn`t survive, or Napoli will have to convince them to let him go, also because the Meret situation still needs clarification; he will be a free agent at the end of the season, at least for now. As of today, under the Bosman ruling, he could sign with another club. Meret`s future will depend entirely on Conte. We`ll have to see if he stays on the Napoli bench or not. If he stays, he might decide to keep two strong goalkeepers and have them start on equal footing from pre-season training. It will depend on him.
So Conte will stay at Napoli next season?
He has a contract, and contracts must be respected, but in his recent statements, he seemed a bit hesitant. I`m not saying he wants to leave, his jabs are a message to the president to build a more complete squad. We`ll see. I`m also curious to see how it ends. First, let`s hope Napoli wins the league, then we`ll see.