At 3 a.m. Beijing time (CEST) on September 10, Napoli will host Arsenal in the first match of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Ahead of the match, Napoli captain Di Lorenzo attended a press conference.

Captain, do you think this match comes at the right time for you, or at an inconvenient moment? How did the team react and respond after the loss to Inter?

I think this match comes at the perfect time. It's good to get back on the pitch right after a defeat, especially in such an important match. So we're very eager to play well and start our Champions League campaign on a positive note. We've carefully analyzed the mistakes we made over the past few weeks, and we're ready to put on a great performance tomorrow night.

Captain, defense is a team effort, not just the responsibility of the back line. How do you reflect on conceding five goals in two matches?

Yes, we've definitely reviewed those mistakes. Conceding three goals in one half is clearly very frustrating for us. It shows we made errors in certain areas, and we need to do better starting tomorrow night. When you face strong teams and compete at this high level, even the smallest mistake will be punished immediately by a powerful opponent. So from this perspective, we must play a perfect match and work hard for a good result.

Following up on the defensive question, Captain—did Coach Allegri give you any specific instructions about defense?

Of course. He demands that we be more aggressive, actively cover space, and limit the opponent when they have the ball. In other words, we need to learn to suffer and work hard on the pitch when we don't have possession. This is very important. In the first few matches of the season, not all players are yet at 100% physical condition, so we're working hard to improve in this area.

The coach has mentioned several times that the team needs to improve its ability to control the tempo and manage different phases of the match in the early season. However, historically our team has struggled when the pace slows down, we lose possession, and we're under pressure. We've seen this to some extent in the first three matches. From your perspective, what can we specifically do now to improve this historical weakness that all of Napoli's past coaches have mentioned?

As I just said, we need to learn to contribute and show patience on the pitch, and defend as a complete team. We also need to better manage the different phases of the match—that is, read and understand the various situations we face more clearly. We also need to learn how to "defend with possession"—this means passing the ball to organize our defense when we can't launch forward, and managing our possession phase differently. We've been studying and practicing these details over the past few days.

Tomorrow night is our Champions League debut of the season at the Maradona Stadium, and we face a team with tremendous history and prestige. What do you most need to show—greater boldness, greater resilience, greater courage, or all of these qualities?

We will certainly face a very strong opponent. They are Premier League champions and runners-up in this competition last season. So this is a very important clash, but at the same time it's a highly motivating challenge to test our true level. This is an extremely important competition, and of course we want to do better than last season and need to show that from the first match. So the entire team is currently very focused and fully committed to implementing the game plan we need to execute.

Captain, Coach Allegri has said that this team needs to improve not only ball management but also physical condition. Where are we currently in terms of physical development? What key targeted training have you been doing to improve fitness and physicality? How are you improving both fitness and ball control?

Yes, as I mentioned before, in the first few matches of the season our physical condition cannot be at 100 percent. The weather is very hot, and while that's not an excuse, it has had some physical impact on us in the first few matches. As I said, we need to give our all both when we have the ball and when we don't, and we need to correct the mistakes that occurred in previous matches.

Giovanni, from a tactical perspective, what do you think are the main differences and new changes in Coach Allegri's demands compared to Coach Conte last season?

But I think we shouldn't always compare ourselves to last season. Last season is the past, and we've started a new journey with a new coach. We've been working together for about a month and a half, and everyone is gradually integrating more deeply into his tactical ideas and understanding the style of play he wants from the team. So while there's never enough time in football, we're currently at the beginning of a new phase. We'll do our best to implement his football philosophy. He's a very experienced coach, so the entire team is working hard to absorb and digest his ideas as quickly as possible.

Giovanni, I'd like to ask you something. In the closing stages of the last match, we saw the team switch to a five-man defense. Was this something you practiced during the week in training? Is this an alternative to the main 4-3-3 formation? In this new formation, would you personally prefer to play as the right center-back among the three defenders, or as a wing-back moving up and down the flank?

We actually practice various tactical alternatives during the week. In modern football, matches are divided into different phases, and we need to learn how to do different things in each phase. So yes, we'll practice various complex situations that could occur during a match. As for my personal position on the pitch, it doesn't make much difference to me. Over recent years, I've primarily played as the right center-back among three defenders rather than as a wing-back. But as long as the team needs it, I can play both positions. No problem.

Captain, hello. The match against Arsenal will be extremely difficult. One of Arsenal's greatest strengths—which you've surely studied through video analysis—is their transition play. They excel at 50-50 ball contests after losing possession, immediately press, and launch their next attack. The question is whether this will be one of the key elements tomorrow night? That is, you need to be very clear about when to maintain possession and make safe passes, and when to boldly go direct with a long pass to penetrate deeper? Kevin De Bruyne comes to mind—he's a player who thinks faster than others on the pitch.

Yes, that's exactly what I mentioned earlier. Instead of reacting blindly, you read and control different moments throughout the match and know what to do and when. As I just said, we'll face an enormously strong team tomorrow night, but we also want to maximize our own strengths. When competing at the highest level in the Champions League, facing the best players and best teams is completely normal. The fact that we Napoli can stand here and compete with them means Napoli is also a strong team with excellent players.

So all the players have a strong desire to compete against strong opponents and want to play in these matches. After all, these are the most beautiful and exciting stages of a professional career. So let me say once more: we've prepared for tomorrow. The Maradona Stadium will be full, and the atmosphere of a Champions League night will certainly be amazing. And we're also ready and full of fighting spirit.

AI 번역.

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