ADL: 'If Napoli had more revenue...'

By Football Italia staff

President Aurelio De Laurentiis believes if Napoli “had the revenue of an English or Spanish club, I’d win every year” and will eventually “crush Juventus without mercy.”

The first leg of the Europa League quarter-final kicks off in London tonight at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).

“It would’ve been nicer to have a less complicated opponent at this stage, but I think Carlo Ancelotti can deal with the situation,” the President told Sky Sport Italia.

“Ancelotti prefers it that we have the second leg at home, whereas I for superstitious reasons prefer it the other way around. Arsenal have a good Coach in Unai Emery, but I think ours is better.

“The players are concentrated on both Serie A and Arsenal.”

Juventus are set to win their eighth consecutive Scudetto with a record six rounds to spare, as they only need a point against SPAL on Saturday.

“It’s a problem of revenue. If I had the revenue of an English or Spanish club, I’d win every year,” insisted ADL.

“There’s no doubt that someone like Cristiano Ronaldo makes the difference, but people have to remember we were in a transitional year.

“We had a new Coach with a different system to the one used very well for three years and you have to give time to the tactician to test all the players at his disposal. In that situation, you’re going to lose a few games.

“Fans are not reasonable about these things, because they are all heart and would love to crush Juve without mercy, but we’ll do it sooner or later.

“If I brought in a Coach who loves Napoli, the city of Naples and the training centre, who said he wants to remain for eight years and I’d like him to stay for life like Sir Alex Ferguson, that makes him a reference point.”

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