Giovanni Galli, a distinguished former goalkeeper for AC Milan and Napoli, and a 1982 World Cup winner, offered his insights on Italian football during his appearance on Rai Radio 1`s “Radio Anch`io Sport.” He shared his perspectives on Allegri`s Milan, the resilience of Napoli, the hierarchy of Serie A goalkeepers, and even commented on the performance of top European players.
Allegri`s Milan: A Potential Season Surprise
Galli initiated his commentary by praising Allegri`s influence on AC Milan following their victory over the reigning Italian champions. “Allegri`s touch is undeniably visible,” Galli remarked. “The squad has developed a sophisticated tactical understanding, and the arrival of world-class players like Modric has been transformative. Yesterday, Modric`s dynamic performance made it seem as though he had merely a dozen career games behind him, rather than a thousand. This Milan is pragmatic and direct, devoid of unnecessary embellishments, proving itself to be solid and fully aware of both its strengths and weaknesses. Milan could very well emerge as the season`s major surprise.”
Napoli`s Resilience Despite Defeat
Addressing the question of whether Napoli had been diminished by their recent loss, Galli firmly responded, “No, Napoli remains a formidable team. Yesterday, they conceded a goal precisely at the moment they were beginning to assert control over the game. They demonstrate both mastery and confidence in their capabilities. In the second half, they generated clear opportunities to equalize. In essence, Napoli is still very much in the title race despite this setback. Currently, both Milan and Napoli possess a slight advantage over clubs like Inter, Roma, and the others.”
The Serie A Goalkeeper Hierarchy: Meret, Maignan, and Svilar
When asked about the strongest goalkeeper in Serie A, Galli prefaced his answer with a general observation: “Firstly, Italian goalkeepers typically possess an inherent advantage. From a young age, they cultivate a profound technical understanding of the position. Even foreign goalkeepers arriving in Italy tend to significantly improve. I recall players like Alisson, Szczesny, Taffarel, and Dida: they were goalkeepers blessed with exceptional physical attributes but initially lacked strong technical foundations. Maignan is still evolving; he needs to marginally refine his technique, particularly when dealing with deflections. From a purely technical standpoint, Meret is the finest goalkeeper we have in Italy, and he`s also enhancing his personality, which previously was his `Achilles` heel.` Svilar, on the other hand, is remarkably effective and resolute; while his technique isn`t outstanding, he is incredibly difficult to score against—he is a goalkeeper brimming with courage.”
De Bruyne`s Form and Conte`s Leadership Analogy
Galli also briefly touched upon player performance and leadership, stating, “De Bruyne no longer exhibits his past brilliance; he now maintains a consistent, almost monotonous pace, always moving at the same speed. Conte, recognizing this, sought to inject more dynamism into the team by bringing on an additional player. He rightfully reaffirmed his leadership, illustrating it with an analogy: `It`s like when you have a crack in a car windshield: if you don`t address it immediately, that crack will expand, ultimately forcing you to replace the entire windshield.` Conte, he concluded, would never permit such a situation.”
