Napoli, Scuffet: "I'm in a big place to learn. Meret? A friend"

Naples, 22 January 2025 - While the focus of the market is all on the hunt for the heir of Khvisha Kvaratskhelia, with Alexander Garnacho today less distant than yesterday but still not as close as the headquarters of would have hoped Castel Volturno after the meeting between the parties at Milan, and on a new central defender, with the brake on the front Danilo It should be noted that in recent weeks, among the so-called minor operations, there was one that led to Simone scuffet al Napoli to fill the always underrated role of second goalkeeper. Of course, when the starter is in front Alex Meret and when there is only one competition at stake between now and the end of the season, the chances of playing remain few, but the second Friulian to defend the goalposts of Fuorigrotta he still wants to give his contribution to the cause, as he confessed this afternoon to the microphones of Radio Crc.  

Naples and past experiences

  We start from the approach taken in the new reality by the former Cagliari, a club from which he arrived on loan. "I found a very united group that, despite the good results achieved, remained humble and with a great desire to work to improve and grow. The journey is still long and therefore these values ​​are very important and whoever has arrived now must get on the same page as this mood". Speaking of moods, the very heavy victory obtained at home ofAtalanta he literally made the party of an entire square explode upon the team's return from Bergamo. "The fans gave us a great boost, both before and after, welcoming us to Capodichino. All this must give us the desire to continue working during the week to reciprocate the affection of those who have been close to us. It is essential to arrive at the match prepared for the opponent, in order to study the countermoves to implement and to have more conviction and awareness in hurting them. Obviously we must also be prepared to change during the match if there is some tactical news on the other side". From Bergamo a Udine, the city that forged Scuffet, on the pitch and in life. "From there I take with me the desire to always improve and never give up. The Friulian character is that of a worker and a person who knows he can always do more". After leaving 'home', the class of '96 opened the doors to various experiences abroad, which were also important. "You always have to have the freedom to make choices that may seem more complicated and that instead taught me to adapt quickly to what happens, to how situations change and to a different kind of football. A Cyprus and Romania I adapted to being in teams with high ambitions, even in leagues of a lower level than ours. I was in teams that still had the will, the desire and the responsibility to want to achieve goals. The role of the goalkeeper then - continues Scuffet - It's special, because many saves are taken for granted while the mistake stands out. You have to be good at leaving both things behind, also because the judgments towards us are more severe, since a slip-up is enough to decide a match".

The relationship with Meret

  As if the 'standard' tasks were not enough, the life of goalkeepers has been further complicated by the trend in recent years of involving them in the so-called build-up from below, the bane and blessing of football, of coaches and above all of those directly involved. "As mentioned, the goalkeeper's error becomes more decisive and can also happen with a bad pass. For this reason, even in the build-up phase, you need to know how to recognize when there is the possibility of giving a hand to your teammates and when instead the risk rate is too high and therefore it is better to opt for another choice. You need to know how to read the moment of the match, the position of your teammates and opponents to then make the best decisions, limiting the risks to a minimum". In the meantime, now on the horizon for Scuffet there is the new adventure at Napoli, which even with the loan formula seems to represent that chance in a big club that has always faded in his career so far. "It's a new stage for me in which I'm dealing with an important company that has equally high ambitions. Here I only have to learn, also because I have the opportunity to work in a strong group made up of great players: every day I try to make the most of something". To help Scuffet in this new adventure there is Meret, counterpart in role, fellow countryman and friend: it couldn't have gone better. "We have a great relationship and it is also evident from the fact that each of us is happy with the goals achieved by the other. Both now as teammates and before when we were opponents, I was happy if I saw him put in a good performance. Now that we are in the same team obviously even more, because each of his saves can be useful to us to bring home a good result for all of us". An understandable discussion that is amplified now that on the horizon there is Napoli-Juventus, a match that is never banal at these latitudes, as the class of '96 immediately noted. "It's a very important and heartfelt match that must therefore be prepared in every detail, as we always do. It will be a tough match against a team that always manages to bring out something good. They have drawn many times, fewer victories than one might expect, but at the same time it must be said that they don't lose and therefore this means that they never give up".