Goran Pandev and Napoli will face Juventus in the Italian Super Cup on 11 August and the Macedonian striker is desperate to help the Azzurri win another trophy.
Napoli already defeated Juventus in one final last season when they won the Italian Cup trophy. Now, the two teams will meet once again, this time in the Italian Super Cup to be played in China. The Italian Super Cup is played before the start of a new season and matches the defending league champion (in this case Juventus) against the defending domestic cup champion (Napoli).
“I want to help bring the Super Cup trophy to Napoli. Winning with this team is something special and I felt that joy when we won the Italian Cup last year. We want to repeat that feeling and win another trophy to open the season on a high note.”
Goran has a good record of scoring against Juventus, capped by his memorable goal years ago when he played for Lazio. That goalscoring form continued last season when he scored a brace. Pandev said, “I remember very well my first Napoli brace against Juve, especially since it came in a tough period for me. After that game, I relaxed and started to play up to my capabilities. I like playing against Juventus and hope to have another good game in the forthcoming Super Cup.”
It seems that Pandev is enjoying life in Napoli and is back to being himself after a tough spell at Inter. “I chose Napoli with my heart, I don’t think there is another city with the passion of these fans. I have played for several squads and I can say that Napoli is unique. The fans are honest, they tell you what’s on their mind. For me, signing autographs and taking photos is wonderful. I take this as a blessing, not a problem. The affection of the Napoli fans gives me a lot of joy.”
“As an attacker, it is important to score goals but the most crucial thing is that the team wins. With Lorenzo, Edu and Cavani, we have a strong attack. Napoli is a compact team that plays great football under Walter Mazzari. For me he is a great coach.” – Goran concluded in his interview for Radio Marte.
As mentioned earlier, The Italian Super Cup is scheduled for 11 August at the Beijing National Stadium in China. This will be Pandev’s third trip to Beijing to play in such a game but he did not feature in the first two occasions held in China. In the 2009 Super Cup, Goran was left out of Lazio’s squad due to a contract dispute, while in 2010 he made the Inter squad but stayed on the bench as an unused substitute. Pandev did win the Super Cup in 2011 and even scored a goal in Inter’s 3:1 win over Roma, but that game was played in Rome, not Beijing.