Spalletti marvels at Napoli boss' rise
Maurizio Sarri is at the summit of Italian football and Luciano Spalletti believes it would be no different had he remained in finance.
Inter head coach Luciano Spalletti joked Napoli counterpart Maurizio Sarri would be Italy's Finance Minister if he had stuck with his career in banking ahead of their sides' top-of-the-table clash on Saturday.
Mauro Icardi completed his hat-trick with a last-minute penalty to seal derby glory against AC Milan last time out, moving Inter on to seven wins and a draw from eight-top flight matches under Spalletti.
Napoli have gone one better, with their 100 per cent record still record still intact thanks to a swashbuckling style that has plundered 26 Serie A goals.
Sarri has taken an unconventional route to the summit of Italian football, having combined amateur coaching jobs in Tuscany with his work in the financial sector before an incredible rise – the latest chapter of which was a gripping 2-1 loss to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek.
"If Sarri had continued to work in a bank then by now he would be Finance Minister," his opposite number Spalletti joked at a news conference ahead of a match he feels leaves his side "in at the deep end".
"Napoli are a good advert for football. They are strong but we know that we cannot let them dictate play with their quality.
"We are currently in at the deep end, but we do have the ability to create problems for Napoli.
"We must try to trouble them and we aim to win in their own backyard."
Spalletti warned Inter they must show their aptitude when it comes to being able to "start again from zero" after the emotionally charged victory over Milan but the former Roma boss is delighted by the attitude and application his squad have shown since the start of the campaign.
"There is self-confidence and determination within the team," he added.
"The attitude shown when the derby was 2-2 helps me understand the type of heart that these players have.
"Anything is possible here at Inter because there are no regrets or limitations. The entire squad is of the highest quality and they can compete against any other team.
"After what I've seen so far, I am convinced that my team can be at the same level as their opponents on Saturday."