Carlo Tarallo, a journalist for `La Verità`, recently appeared on the radio program `1 Football Club`, hosted by Luca Cerchione on 1 Station Radio. He shared his views on Victor Osimhen`s future and Luciano Spalletti`s situation. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
Regarding the Osimhen situation, Tarallo stated, “It`s clear that Victor would prefer to stay in Europe, but he`s also very focused on earnings. So, understandably, he considers offers from an economic perspective. I believe he`s been poorly advised over the years; given his character and exuberance, he needed better guidance. Victor is consistent – he`s always been skilled at creating issues. I can also understand if he doesn`t want to simply take a massive salary now and then disappear from top football. I recently read about Gabri Veiga, who did the opposite: he went for the money and then returned to Europe. If a player has talent, they always have options. And I think Napoli can make excellent use of the funds from a potential sale.”
On the topic of players moving to Saudi Arabia, Tarallo was asked if it`s easy to return to European football after playing there for a couple of years, given the different pace. He replied, “In my opinion, that`s a career-end move, around 34-35. At that level, a great player will still stand out. But some players struggle to return. More often, it`s the people around these players who are eager to get paid quickly. Perhaps Osimhen is the only one trying to pump the brakes on this. Maybe he`s saying, `You`re in a rush to finalize this, but I want to see if another opportunity arises during the transfer window.`”
Tarallo agreed that such a move is like early retirement. “Yes, I think so. He knows it well. A transfer like that effectively means saying goodbye, or at least `see you later` for an indefinite period, to important football. He`s right to think carefully about it.”
Turning to Luciano Spalletti, Tarallo commented, “Spalletti has always been a great actor. Always. Excellent. I no longer believe these emotional moments, these scenes. In my opinion, he`s performing. Perhaps I`m wrong, maybe I`m exaggerating. But I remain convinced there`s a very theatrical element to his actions. However, as we know, Gravina – who comes across like a sort of Mother Teresa – told us everything was done with maximum transparency. It makes me smile. We saw how it truly went…”
Asked about rumors linking Spalletti to Juventus, Tarallo quipped, “What will happen to the Napoli tattoo? How do you deal with that tattoo? It`s a small detail, but not an insignificant one. However, we know anything can happen in football.”