Luciano Spalletti admits he feels like a kid on Christmas Eve ahead of Napoli's Champions League clash with Rangers.
The 63-year-old brings his Serie A high-flyers to Glasgow looking to make it six points from six in the section after a stunning win over Liverpool on their own patch last week. The Naples club fired four goals past Jurgen Klopp's men to pick up a massive result while the Light Blues lost out heavily against Ajax in Amsterdam.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men go into the clash off the back of that big loss and another by the same score to Old Firm rivals Celtic as they bid to put on a big performance for the Ibrox faithful and return to winning ways after a difficult week. Spalletti and his Napoli side stand in the way of that happening with the boss admitting he can't wait to sample 'amazing' Ibrox as he warned his side they need to be ready or they could leave Glasgow empty-handed.
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No away fans will be present in the ground, a decision the veteran Italian coach understands as he sent his condolences to the Royal Family following the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week.
Spalletti said: “I feel like a little boy on the night before Christmas, and my reward is to come and play these games in amazing stadia.
“It’s sentimental for me that we are playing in a group with clubs with great tradition and experience of European football.
“The three other clubs have great history and it doesn’t always happen that you get the chance to play in great grounds like this.
“I have read players who have played here saying it’s not possible to play here without it having an effect on them. I’m sure that will be the case.
“If we try and play with the same characteristics as our opponent, we will lose. They can be physical but we have to play our way, keep the ball. We’ll be ready.
“It’s disappointing that our supporters won’t be in the stadium. They would have helped us massively at certain moments in the game and they are the ones who have been penalised.
“But we have played in big atmospheres before and I understand the situation that has caused the game to be moved by a day.
“I send my condolences and those of everyone at Napoli to the British Royal Family.”
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