Andrea Sottil is adamant he and his team are not heading to Naples just to make up the numbers as Udinese look to end 2022 on a high.
League leaders Napoli appear to be unstoppable at the moment having racked up ten consecutive wins in Serie A, but Udinese will look to put that to the test when they visit the Stadio Maradona on Saturday afternoon.
“We want to try and end the first part of the season with a great result. We know what we're up against but we must go to Naples and play like Udinese. We must ask questions of Napoli and not just watch them play. That's the way we've always done things.
“We're going to need to come up with a huge performance and outdo ourselves. You can't expect to take anything off Napoli with a 'normal' performance. It's going to have to be something special.
Sottil also took time to share his admiration for opposite number Luciano Spalletti.
“I know Spalletti – he was my coach here at Udinese. He's charismatic and very determined, with a strong personality. Besides getting his teams playing good football, he makes them understand the importance of going the extra yard. You can see that very clearly in the way Napoli play. They're a hard-working side with lots of quality. It's no coincidence they're top.”
Napoli will be without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, one of the revelations of the season, but Sottil feels any difference is relative.
“He's been an amazing signing for them – his performances speak for themselves. He's your typical wide forward: excellent at beating his man and hungry for goals. That hunger makes the difference. I don't think his absence will change anything though because Napoli have an excellent squad with alternatives who are more than up to the task.”
As for Udinese's treatment room: “We're considering everything carefully and running test. [Bram] Nuytinck is trying to make it.”
Against Spezia, Udinese fell behind for the ninth time but fought back to earn a 14th point from losing positions.
“The lads were sorry we couldn't get the three points. We knew it would be a battle – as every game is. People seem to think certain games are foregone conclusions but there are no foregone conclusions in football. We struggled a bit in the first half then the second half was more even and we could have won it. It's a sign of the mentality we've built here.”
The coach admitted the enforced break during the World Cup may well have come at the right time.
"I think it might be a good thing in this case,” Sottil continued. “Generally I don't like having breaks but the players have been pushing really hard and we have several players sidelined, which is part of the game of course. The break will give us the chance to switch off for a bit mentally and physically and recharge our batteries before the long period of training and friendlies we have ahead.”
Finally, Sottil offered his thoughts on the season so far, which sees Udinese eight points better off than at the same stage last season
“I'm very happy with the work we've done. Technically, tactically and mentally we've improved with each game. We've had some big wins too. Now we're very focused on doing well tomorrow. We want to leave Naples with something in the bag.”