Luciano Spalletti has pushed back on Pep Guardiola's claim Napoli are the best team in Europe right now, claiming the comments are "a game to build us up, so they can knock us down".
The Partenopei booked their first appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals after a comfortable 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the last-16 second leg.
With an 18-point lead at the summit of Serie A to boot, Spalletti's side seem primed for silverware regardless, and City boss Guardiola suggested they are the team to beat.
Spalletti, however, feels the Catalan coach is only saying as much in order to take the advantage in the mental tussle ahead of Friday's last-eight draw, with both teams in the mix to meet.
"I don't feel proud, I don't feel anything," he told Amazon Prime Italia. "I know this game that everyone does to put pressure on the others.
"Are we putting Napoli in front of Manchester City? If they can spend €900m compared to our €9m, there must be a reason. It's a game to build us up, so they can knock us down."
City booked their place in the quarter-finals with a ruthless result of their own, notching a 7-0 second leg victory over RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
Napoli meanwhile join rivals Milan and Inter in the last-eight, marking the first time three Italian teams have reached the stage since the 2005-06 campaign.
Spalletti urged supporters to enjoy the moment, but insisted his team cannot get carried away as they look to make further history in Europe this season.
"It is a great result, [and] we are going to enjoy it along with all our fans," he added. "Now it becomes fundamental that we maintain the same attitude.
"If Napoli in the entire history of this club had not reached the quarter-finals before, that means this is a great result."
Man City’s Kyle Walker vows to make Champions League final after injury scare
Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker has played down fears he could miss the Champions League final with a back injury.
The England international did not feature in an open training session on Tuesday as City continued preparations for Saturday’s clash with Inter Milan in Istanbul.
The 33-year-old looked in discomfort as he was substituted in the final minute of City’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United at Wembley.
But Walker was one of a number of players made available for media interviews later on Tuesday and he insisted the problem was not serious.
“I’m fine, I’m just getting old,” he told Sky Sports News. “I’m completely fine, it’s just an extra day of recovery.
“I’ve played a lot of minutes over the last number of weeks so the manager said, ‘Just stay inside and come Saturday you will be raring to go’.
“I’m fine, the minutes that I’ve played when everyone else was injured, I was there digging my heels in and getting through it. I won’t be missing the Champions League final for anything.”
Manager Pep Guardiola also said Walker’s absence from training was only precautionary.
“He has had a disturbance in his back,” said Guardiola at a press conference. “Yesterday he was not good, today he was a little bit better but we didn’t want to take any risks. We will see what happens in the next days.”
City are bidding to win the Champions League for the first time and complete a glorious treble after their Premier League and FA Cup successes this season.
They are also looking to erase the memory of their painful loss to Chelsea in the 2021 final.
As three-time winners, Inter boast the greater European pedigree but City will go into the match as firm favourites against the side that finished third in Serie A this term.
Guardiola, however, insists what has happened in the past – and even current form – counts for little now.
He said: “It’s really good to travel in a few days to Istanbul. We go together and it is a dream to be here.
“Two years ago we were there but in different situations with Covid.
“We’re going to try to do our best and we know the final is how you behave in that specific 95 minutes, not history.
“For history, they are better than us but it is about what you have to do to be better than the opponent in 95 minutes.
“It doesn’t count what you have done in the group stages or the Premier League or the FA Cup. We have to be better than them.”
Guardiola is comfortable with the tag of favourites.
“We are used to it,” he said. “Why should it be more dangerous? Accept the role and go out there knowing the quality of the opponents. We accept what people say, no problem.”
City’s form in the latter part of the season, when they reeled in Arsenal to win the Premier League and powered past Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to reach this weekend’s showpiece, has been outstanding.
Guardiola acknowledges confidence is high in the City squad but insists there will be no complacency.
He said: “It is a final against a top team and we have to do it. We are confident, I’m so optimistic, but at the same time I cannot deny the quality of the opponent.
“I have never done that and especially not in the final of the Champions League.”
Kyle Walker gives Manchester City injury scare ahead of Champions League final
Kyle Walker has given Manchester City an injury scare ahead of the Champions League final by sitting out training with a back problem.
The England right-back was not involved as the treble-chasing Premier League champions held a session open to media ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Inter Milan in Istanbul.
Walker was substituted in the last minute of City’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United at Wembley last weekend.
The 33-year-old was made available by the club for media commitments on Tuesday, suggesting the issue was not too serious, but manager Pep Guardiola said no chances were being taken.
“He has had a disturbance in his back,” said Guardiola at a press conference.
“Yesterday he was not good, today he was a little bit better but we didn’t want to take any risks. We will see what happens in the next days.”
City are bidding to win the Champions League for the first time in their history and complete a glorious treble after their Premier League and FA Cup successes already this season.
They are also looking to erase the memory of their painful loss to Chelsea in the final of 2021.
As three-time winners, Inter boast the greater European pedigree but City will go into the match as firm favourites against the side that finished third in Serie A this term.
Guardiola, however, insists what has happened in the past – and even current form – counts for little now.
He said: “It’s really good to travel in a few days to Istanbul. We go together and it is a dream to be here.
“Two years ago we were there but in different situations with Covid.
“We’re going to try to do our best and we know the final is how you behave in that specific 95 minutes, not history.
“For history, they are better than us but it is about what you have to do to be better than the opponent in 95 minutes.
“It doesn’t count what you have done in the group stages or the Premier League or the FA Cup. We have to be better than them.”
Guardiola is comfortable with the tag of favourites.
“We are used to it,” he said. “Why should it be more dangerous? Accept the role and go out there knowing the quality of the opponents. We accept what people say, no problem.”
City’s form in the latter part of the season, when they reeled in Arsenal to win the Premier League and powered past Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to reach this weekend’s showpiece, has been outstanding.
Guardiola acknowledges confidence is high in the City squad but insists there will be no complacency.
He said: “It is a final against a top team and we have to do it. We are confident, I’m so optimistic, but at the same time I cannot deny the quality of the opponent.
“I have never done that and especially not in the final of the Champions League.”
Halsey calls for points deductions to tackle referee abuse
Jose Mourinho's behaviour and the subsequent abuse of Anthony Taylor by Roma fans has led to former Premier League referee Mark Halsey calling for stricter punishments.
Taylor and his family were verbally and physically targeted at Budapest airport in the wake of Roma's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.
Both teams felt aggrieved by some of Taylor's decisions in the game, but Mourinho was particularly vehement, and was filmed shouting abuse at the official long after the final whistle had blown.
Halsey was infuriated by what he saw.
"Everybody that's seen the footage or watched the game, I thought both teams' conduct with their players and the coaching staff was appalling," Halsey told Stats Perform.
"On the night I thought Anthony [Taylor] and his team had a superb game under the most difficult of circumstances. When players don't want to listen, it makes it so very difficult for the referee.
"The referee can only referee what's in front of him. If I was being ultra critical, perhaps they should have removed team officials from the bench. But having said that, I thought they were outstanding on the night.
"Obviously, the criticism of him in the car park when [Mourinho] volleyed abuse again, I think it's appalling, and Roma fans having seen that, I think that's what led to the scenes that we saw at the airport. As much as everybody loves Jose Mourinho, you cannot do that. You cannot condone these actions.
"I think in the cold light of day, when he sits back down and looks at himself and his family looks at the way he behaves, I think they will think that he deserve everything that's coming his way regarding punishments."
Now, Halsey wants governing bodies such as UEFA to crack down on the abuse by enforcing points deductions.
He continued: "That was a showcase. The Premier League, the Champions League, Europa League are watched around the world by millions and millions of people, including children.
"In England, we have a problem at a grassroots level, we have a problem with youth football, we have a problem with parents. They watch that, and think they can get away with it.
"This season we've seen over £1.5million worth of fines dished out for player and team officials' behaviour on the field of play. Out of the 92 clubs, 52 have been charged £1.5m in fines. What does that tell you? That tells you that the fines are not working.
"So we've got to start with the points deduction right at the very top. In fact, that goes for if you're playing the Champions League.
"If Roma are in the Europa League next season, and Sevilla are in the Champions League, they've got to start with a points deduction. [They've] got to hit the clubs in the pocket, and take the points away.
"Those points could stop them qualifying for the knockout stages. They've really got to come down hard on them."
As for Mourinho, Halsey hopes the Roma boss faces a significant punishment.
He said: "I just think it was absolutely appalling. I've never seen a game like that and a referee treated like that anywhere.
"Even in my time as an official, I never ever got treatment like that, and I refereed all over the world. That's why I think that UEFA has got to come down extremely hard on Roma and José as well as Sevilla for their behaviour on the field of play."
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