"Kim Min-jae and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia? Aurelio De Laurentiis was concerned, but I said, 'Just trust me.'"

Luciano Spalletti, the current head coach of the Italy national team, revealed behind-the-scenes stories from his time at SSC Napoli in his autobiography. On the 6th (Korea time), the Italian website 'Area Napoli' focused on the anecdotes from Spalletti's new book "Heaven Exists... But How Hard Is It? (Il Paradiso esiste... ma quanta fatica)" related to the championship season.

In the book, Spalletti conveyed the skepticism that was prevalent within Napoli ahead of the 2022-2023 season. He said, "I told the players, 'If we really want to make history, there is only the Scudetto.' The summer after finishing third in the first year was not easy. This was because players like David Ospina, Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, and Kalidou Koulibaly left the team," explaining the difficult start.

The departure of center-back Koulibaly, in particular, was a huge shock, and he confessed, "I was prepared to chain myself to prevent him from leaving."

The most interesting point was his recollection about the signings of Kim Min-jae and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Spalletti noted, "Kvaratskhelia had strong recommendations from Russian friends, and I completely trusted the Director General Cristiano Giuntoli at the time. He was accurate."

However, the response from club president De Laurentiis was different. Spalletti recounted, "He asked me, 'Coach, how on earth do you expect to strengthen Napoli by bringing in a Korean (Kim Min-jae) and a Georgian (Kvaratskhelia)?'" relaying the skepticism the president showed.

The outcome is well-known. Kim Min-jae and Kvaratskhelia quickly established themselves as the top talents in Serie A, and Napoli won the league title for the first time in 33 years. Despite being viewed as 'unknowns,' Spalletti pushed forward with belief, and that decision led to the greatest season in the club's history.

In particular, Kim Min-jae played a decisive role in Napoli's 33-year wait for a Serie A title with his consistent defensive skills during his time at the club. He earned recognition for his abilities on the historically strong defensive stage of Italy.

Kim Min-jae's name also came up at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, organized by the French football magazine 'France Football.' He proudly placed 22nd in the Ballon d'Or rankings, being the only Asian national among the final 30 candidates and achieving the highest rank among defenders.

Looking back, the value that Kim Min-jae and Kvara left in Napoli cannot be explained by a simple trophy. Their emergence surprised the entire European stage, and Napoli transformed back into a 'dreaming team.' Spalletti proved it through results, and his belief ultimately became a part of history.

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