Australia NewsItalian Clubs Eye VPL Trialist |
EXCLUSIVE: After a month of trial games against Serie A and Belgian opposition, Victorian Premier League defender Ralph Napoli has interest from at least two Italian clubs.
Napoli, 23, from Fawkner in the VPL, has played 11 games in the last 20 days as part of a team of uncontracted players from Italy and South America who are playing as a team in Italy to help them gain professional contracts.In what amounts to a trialists tour, the cobbled together squad have squared off against Serie A sides in pre-season mode including Atalanta, Bologna and Chievo Verona.
Other trial games have been played against Padova, Monza and Belgian club Royal Cercle.
Napoli, who has been traveling from game to game on a bus with the squad, says the experience has been eye-opening.
"It has been a incredible experience on the realities of football both on and off the pitch in terms of mental preparation, diet, tactical preparation and phyiscal fitness," he tells au.fourfourtwo.com from Italy.
Uncontracted players who've been on the tour include Italian Simone Pavan, who last season played at Livorno in Italy, and Serbian Ivan Vukomanovic, formerly of Dynamo Moscow.
Pavan is now currently training with QPR while Vukomanovic has just signed with Maccabi Herzliya in Israel.
"What I've noticed is that on the pitch we are light years behind in Australia. The first couple of games I was concentrating really hard on the tips the coaches were giving to me to survive at this level.
"The thing that stands out to me is that the players and coaches especially at the Serie A level are extremely humble, coachable workaholics who are extremely competitive people. Off the field they are real easy going and prepared to share there experiences.
"After most games, especially the Serie A and B clubs, we were hosted by the clubs at their pre-season retreats for a meal. At these events we were able to sit down and mingle with the coaches and players."
Napoli has had a number of clubs from Serie C and Segunda Liga B enquire about him and within a week or so that situation may become clearer.
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