Mazzarri: ´We are used to surprising teams´

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri believes his side have been the revelation of this season’s Champions League.

The Serie A side have drawn praise from across Europe for their exploits in the Champions League season, and are just 90 minutes away from a spot in the quarter-finals after beating Chelsea 3-1 at home in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.

However, while Mazzarri is proud of his side’s achievements in this, their debut season in the Champions League, he is not taking anything for granted ahead of their outing at Stamford Bridge.

“Between myself and the players there is a special feeling, and my players do not underestimate tomorrow’s challenge,” Mazzarri said.

“We must not think of the advantage we have, we must play our own game and try to get a result here, just as we did in Manchester and Villarreal (in the group stages).”

“We have our beliefs and we must put them on the field in the best way. When we feel good, we are capable of crushing our opponents.”

“We are used to surprising teams; to do something extraordinary for us seems to have become normal.”

“My players have grown exponentially in such a short time, and now they have also acquired international experience.”

“Right now Napoli can be considered the revelation of Europe, after previously being the revelation of Italy.”

“But we must all be alert and focused, but loose at the same time, without feeling the importance of the game too much.”

Mazzarri is also wary of the ‘Roberto Di Matteo effect’, with the Blues having appointed the Italian as coach on an interim basis following the dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas just a few days after the first leg.

“Something has changed with him (Di Matteo),” Mazzarri said. “They have won twice in two games. They have found confidence and this worries me more than the tactics.”

Meanwhile, Napoli’s star forward Edinson Cavani is also expecting a backlash akin to that endured by AC Milan in their meeting with Arsenal at the Emirates last week, when the Italian side nearly blew a 4-0 lead from the first leg.

“I expect a combative Chelsea, with great desire to overturn the result at the San Paolo,” Cavani said.

“We must be careful and learn from what happened to AC Milan. We have seen that the English teams never give up.”