Luciano Spalletti wants Pep Guardiola and Paolo Maldini to know he is chief among their biggest fans, with the Napoli boss seeking to make peace with both men.
Speaking on the eve of his team's Champions League quarter-final against Milan, Spalletti stressed his recent spat with Rossoneri sporting director Maldini was no reflection of his admiration for the legendary former defender.
He also stressed he had no problems with Guardiola after recent toing and froing through the media.
Manchester City head coach Guardiola hailed Napoli as Europe's top team when the Champions League quarter-final line-up took shape, but that praise was palmed away by Spalletti.
The Napoli boss saw it as a ploy – "a game to build us up, so they can knock us down" – but he stressed on Tuesday he also recognised it as a compliment.
That was after Guardiola reacted on Monday to Spalletti's remarks by saying: "I don't want to talk about Napoli because the manager will be grumpy with me. So sensitive in Italy."
This time, Spalletti looked to calm the narrative.
"I learned a lot from Guardiola," Spalletti said. "Everyone has learnt something from Guardiola. For me, Guardiola is like [Jurgen] Klopp, [Roberto] De Zerbi, all the amazing managers.
"Guardiola, Klopp and De Zerbi are among the football managers I always look at. So if my expression was misunderstood by Guardiola, I'm sorry because I'm truly happy when a manager like him says good words about Napoli.
"It would take me days and days to appreciate Guardiola's former Barcelona."
A tunnel dispute involving Spalletti and Maldini was picked up by television cameras before the second half of Napoli's shock recent 4-0 home loss to Milan in Serie A.
He was quoted as describing Maldini's behaviour as being "disrespectful" shortly after the event.
According to Spalletti, that April 2 incident could be written off as "just standard chat" or a "small fight".
Napoli's 64-year-old coach even said he has a Maldini shirt on his wall at home and was "totally OK with him".
Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Kroos to retire after Euro 2024
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos will retire from football after representing Germany at Euro 2024.
The 34-year-old was thought likely to sign a new contract with Los Blancos, but he announced on Tuesday that he will hang up his boots after representing his country on home soil at the Euros.
Kroos has enjoyed a distinguished 10-year spell with Madrid, who he joined from Bayern Munich in 2014, winning LaLiga and the Champions League four times apiece with the Spanish giants.
He played a crucial role as Carlo Ancelotti's men regained their domestic title in 2023-24, but next week's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund will be the final game of his club career before his Euros swansong.
He initially quit international football after the delayed Euro 2020 three years ago, only to agree to return to the fold under Julian Nagelsmann earlier this year.
In an open letter to Madrid's fans, Kroos wrote: "As I have always said, Real Madrid is and will be my last club.
"After 10 years, at the end of the season this chapter comes to an end. I will never forget this successful time! I would like to thank everyone that welcomed me with an open heart and trusted me.
"But especially I would like to thank you, dear Madridistas, for your affection and your love from the first day until the last one.
"At the same time this decision means that my career as an active footballer will end this summer after the Euro championship."
Kroos also issued a rallying cry as Madrid target a record-extending 15th European crown, adding: "I am happy and proud that in my mind I found the right timing for my decision and that I could choose it myself.
"My ambition was always to finish my career at the peak of my performance levels. From now on there is only one leading thought, la 15! Hala Madrid!"
Man City 'head and shoulders' above all teams in Premier League era, says James
Manchester City's current crop stand "head and shoulders" above all other teams in the Premier League era after winning four straight titles, says the club's former goalkeeper David James.
City became the first team in English top-flight history to win four successive titles on Sunday, a 3-1 win over West Ham ensuring they pipped Arsenal by two points.
Huddersfield Town (1923-1926), Arsenal (1932-1935) and Liverpool (1981-1984) all won the old First Division three times in a row, while Manchester United achieved the feat twice in the Premier League era (1998-2001 and 2006-2009).
Pep Guardiola's men ended the campaign with a nine-match winning streak, while they are now unbeaten in their last 35 matches across all competitions (29 wins, six draws), the longest such run ever recorded by a Premier League team.
They have the chance to make more history on Saturday, as they can clinch unprecedented back-to-back league and FA Cup doubles against Manchester United.
For James, who spent two years with City between 2004 and 2006, Guardiola's champions have cemented their legacy as the Premier League's finest.
"They're up there. The fact they've broken the record means that no one's done better than them over that period," he told Stats Perform.
"From the moment they first won that Premier League title to now, they have been head and shoulders better than anyone else.
"It's thoroughly deserved and one of the funny things that I love is the way they celebrate. You would think after four in a row that it would be, ‘okay, lads, let's get back in and worry about the FA Cup on the weekend'. They celebrate like they haven't got another match!
"This is a group of players and staff who are all with each other, all behind each other, all enjoying all these moments.
"I can't think of a team who's had that much dominance over that period of time. They just keep breaking records, don't they?"
Over the last four seasons, City's total of 359 Premier League points are 49 more than anyone else, while they have averaged 2.4 points per game and won 73.7 per cent of their league matches.
While James does not feel City's class of 2023-24 have been quite as relentless as 2022-23's treble winners, he says they always seemed to be in control in the run-in.
"I think it's interesting when we look at the whole season, because I don't think there's been a spell where City have absolutely smashed teams," James said.
"I've followed a lot of the games this season where they've won but haven't been overly impressive, especially compared to last season.
"But in a way, I could detect from the beginning of the season there was something different about the way Pep was approaching it. I don't think it was all the guts and thunder of last season.
"They always had it under control and it was just like a Mo Farah finish, they put the afterburners on at the end."
Sargent earns recall as Pulisc, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
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