Former coach Arrigo Sacchi thinks that Napoli is not the favorite for the title in Italy next season. According to the 77-year-old Italian, the reigning champion should cede that role to Internazionale.
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An unwritten rule in football is that the reigning champion is also the favorite to claim the title the following season. Last season, that honor fell to AC Milan, but according to Sacchi, it's not a foregone conclusion that Napoli, crowned champions for the third time in history last season, will also be the strongest in the Serie A this coming season.
'I think Inter is a serious candidate for the Scudetto, probably the favorite, even over Napoli', the former Milan manager states in a conversation with La Gazzetta dello Sport. Napoli have now lost coach Luciano Spalletti and it's expected that Kim Min-Jae (Bayern Munich) and Piotr Zielinkski (Al-Hilal) will also leave.
The former national coach, who reached the World Cup final with Italy in 1994, praises the policy at the Nerazzurri. 'They've retained a large part of the team that reached the Champions League final, are in talks to bring back Romelu Lukaku, and have signed players like Davide Frattesi and Marcus Thuram after the loss of Marcelo Brozovic.' André Onana is also set to leave Guiseppe Meazza; he is expected to move to Manchester United.
Despite the acquisitions of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic from Chelsea, Sacchi does not consider his old employer Milan as one of the contenders. 'Olivier Giroud was important, but he is a year older and we do not know what his contribution will be. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic are new to the club, but they come from abroad and will need time to adjust to the Serie A.'
In addition, Milan sold Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United for eighty million euros, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic hung up his boots at the age of 41. Tijjani Reijnders of AZ is being prominently mentioned to strengthen the squad.
