“Norwegian footballer Leo Skiri Østigård faces challenges at Napoli, says coach Luciano Spalletti”

Watch Napoli – Milan tonight at 20.00 on TV 2 Sport 1 and TV 2 Play!

In a team with Napoli’s Juan Jesus – who will probably enter the team in favor of Skiri Østigård – Spalletti appeared to be in great form the day before tonight’s massive Champions League quarter-final against Milan.

They joked, smiled and seemed little affected by the showdown the whole of Italy is waiting for on Tuesday night.

– We don’t need to ask for anything from the supporters. Because we know that they will stand behind us, Juan Jesus told the journalists present.

Then it was coaching legend Spalletti who took questions. He was calm and answered every question at length.

This also applied when TV 2 challenged him on the impression Leo Skiri Østigård has made on the club and not least Ståle Solbakken’s claims that he should change clubs if there is no more playing time.

– I do not quite know. It is perhaps the shortcut for everyone, was Spalletti’s immediate reaction.

Paying tribute to the professionalism

He then launched into a long explanation of the impression Leo Østigård has made since he signed for the Italian club this summer in a transfer worth around NOK 100 million.

– Leo is exceptional when it comes to professionalism. He has strong qualities there. He is strong physically and I have rarely seen a footballer be so strong with his head, says Spalletti.

Then, still in the same explanation, he touched on the challenges the 23-year-old from Åndalsnes has faced in the club which has been Italy’s supremely best team so far this season.

For the first time since Maradona’s days – in 1987 and in 1990 – football-mad Napoli are rushing towards league gold. That with an offensive football that has charmed Football Europe.

– Leo must get better used to our football and the football we have played this season. It’s about the structure of the game and playing on an open court. When you stand tall like we do, you have to get used to understanding when you should stand tall and when you shouldn’t. In addition, he has two extremely strong players “in front of him” in the queue in Kim (Min-jae) and (Amir) Rrahmani, says Spalletti.

It is precisely Kim Min-jae who is suspended in tonight’s match, but instead of Skiri Østigård, it seems as if the coach’s favorite Juan Jesus is in the team.

Have a bad conscience

This means that the Norwegian must once again start on the bench, and Luciano Spalletti has no problem acknowledging that the 23-year-old has had little playing time.

Divided between the Champions League, Serie A and the Italian Cup, there have been 499 playing minutes at Skiri Østigård this season. Especially after Christmas, the road to the team seemed long.

Skiri Østigård has been honest with TV 2 that he must consider the future at the end of the season.

– Leo deserved much more. I’m sorry for that, in exactly the same way as for the others who perform well in training, but who don’t get a place in the starting eleven, says Spalletti.

At the same time, he offers encouragement to the 23-year-old from Åndalsnes.

– The qualities are not lacking, but I am convinced that this season will help him to develop for the future, says Spalletti.

He is still on the same answer to TV 2’s question – where, after well over two minutes, it is concluded to refer back to Ståle Solbakken.

– Leo has all the qualities and experience now which suggests that he can eventually get into the first eleven, which is of course what the national team manager (Ståle Solbakken) wants, says Spalletti.

He then concludes with what seems to be a somewhat cryptic answer to where his future lies. In another way, the answer can be interpreted as praise for the qualities of Skiri Østigård.

– If it doesn’t happen here, it will happen at another team, says the Napoli manager.