Sarri praises Guardiola

CAIRO – 1 November 2017: Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said that he considers Manchester City, his rival in the Champions League on Wednesday, as "the best in Europe, trained by the best in the world."

"Invincible in football and in life there is nobody, but I consider City to be the best in Europe, trained by the best in the world," Sarri told a press conference at the Italian club's sports center prior to the European match.

The Italian coach, who repeatedly showed his admiration for Manchester coach Pep Guardiola's work and similar football philosophy, gave as an example the first half hour of the first round match to prove City's strength.

"The first half of Manchester`s game demonstrates the strength of that team. Technically and tactically it is very strong; it is a team that has practically everything, and those initial 20 minutes were the fruit of this," Sarri recalled.

"I never saw a team leave our pressure like City did. We were in front of something very important. They are a team that often has a double advantage after half an hour," he insisted.

He also stressed the importance of the fans of the San Paolo stadium to push the team towards the three points, and he gave as an example the first half of the duel against Real Madrid last year, which saw Napoli go to the break ahead by 1-0.

"They are players accustomed to this kind of stadium. Against Madrid, we did something extraordinary. It is also true that this was a quarter-final and the result of the first leg (3-1 white win) could reassure them a bit," he said.

"Now, being in the group stage, I think it will not happen (that City relaxes), but I hope San Paolo will help us have a good impact," he added.