Handanovic, Reina on the chopping block: Perin, Sportiello are right round the corner
Napoli and Inter face off tonight in what will certainly be a fascinating game. It certainly will be for two 30-somethings who are suddenly finding themselves on thin ice. Their names? Samir Handanovic and Pepe Reina.
The former has never been truly accepted by Inter’s fans, his sombre demeanour and lack of attachment to the shirt - manifested in his laconic interview at the end of last season, in which he admitted that he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to stay.
This kind of attitude doesn’t help when he ends up making mistakes, his recent clanger against Josip Ilicic reminiscent of an equally-bad howler he made the previous season… once again with his countryman in the vicinity.
He has someone in the background, someone Inter have long had their eye on: Mattia Perin of Genoa. Napoli, for their part, are thinking about Marco Sportiello, who has lost the starting job at Atalanta to Etrit Berisha.
That’s right, even Pepe Reine is hardly safe: his recent error on an easily tameable Keita Balde shot in the recent 1-1 draw with Lazio is just one example of the goalkeeper adored by the fanbase. As loved as he is, Napoli fans are beginning to question him, reluctantly.
Ultimate in football, only thing matters: success.
