The last day of the Serie A championship is approaching before the break due to the World Cup in Qatar.
Reading the statements of the managers of the major teams, in principle the plans for club teams will include a rest period of 10/14 days, relocation to a country with a mild climate where training will be held, and perhaps two friendly matches with other teams. The main destinations for the Europeans are mostly the Arabian Gulf countries and for some Englishmen Australia. For injured players it will be a recovery period without the hassle of having to return to play as the league is interrupted for a long period. For some young people it will be an opportunity to integrate better within the team and in the relationship with the coach.
In our league who has the most to lose from this long stop is Napoli, the only team not to have lost a game, winning the last 10. However, this statement might not be true if instead we take into consideration that winning continuously for months can lead to an addiction to this result and a relaxation in competitive tension. On the contrary, this break, could allow for rest and to put the focus back on a long training period, which should allow them to resume the championship with a renewed motivation and feeling ready to continue the season, which by the way includes champions league commitments. In addition, Napoli has only six players committed to the world cup, which will really allow the team to work together to renew the enthusiasm and quality of play shown at this early stage of the year.
I also believe that the mental and not just physical expense faced in the champions league round, just by virtue of the brilliant and totally new results for the team, has required the management of levels of commitment that Napoli players have never had to date. Many in these matches have gone beyond their usual fatigue, buoyed by enthusiasm for what they have achieved, and this break will allow them to recover especially what they have spent mentally.
Many say that Spalletti’s teams always suffer a drop in performance in the second half of the season. In this regard, the resumption of the championship may represent a new beginning rather than a continuation. A period of time will have passed almost equal to that of the usual summer break, and this condition may reflect positively on the game by avoiding this kind of difficulty and stimulate the team in continuing the feat accomplished so far.
