Napoli Coach Rafael Benitez has played down the San Mames factor ahead of his side’s Champions League meeting with Athletic Bilbao.
Tonight’s fixture will be the first played in front of a fully renovated stadium and the passion of the crowd has been widely discussed prior to kick-off.
But Benitez told his pre-match Press conference that rather than be intimidated by San Mames he believes the players will prefer appearing in a noisy atmosphere than if the ground were empty.
“I don’t care [about the pressure from the stands]. It will be good for the team and when there are many fans, you feel better,” AS reports Benitez as saying.
“Athletic like to attack, to play before their fans, and they won’t speculate for a 0-0. They will try to attack from the beginning.
“I hope we’re not the first victims of San Mames. We move forward.
“Win or lose it doesn’t change anything. We focus on moving forward towards the Champions League, the League and the Cup, to improve the structure of the club.
“They have little to lose, for that feeling of success after getting here. But they also have a lot to lose by getting so close [to the Champions League]. That can create anxiety and nerves.”
Benitez also touched on Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli’s goal scorer in the first leg.
“He’s a decisive player. He loves a challenge and he likes playing against Athletic,” Benitez said of the former Real Madrid striker.
“Our idea is that we have to win and face up to the opposition as always. Last year we won 10 away games, a record in the history of Napoli.”
