Barcelona-Napoli: Gattuso airs Champions League concerns as Covid-19 cases soar
Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has said he is worried by the rise in Covid-19 cases in Barcelona, where residents have been asked to stay at home.
Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso admitted he is "worried" amid a spike in coronavirus cases in Barcelona ahead of next month's Champions League showdown with the Leo Messi-led 2015 winners.
Gattuso's Napoli are scheduled to visit Barcelona for the second leg of their last-16 tie on August 8 behind closed doors but a surge in Covid-19 cases in Catalonia has prompted concerns.
UEFA has confirmed it would be ready to move the clash away from Camp Nou, with the city locked down again and residents asked to stay at home for a fortnight.
Asked about the situation following Sunday's last-gasp 2-1 Serie A victory over Udinese, Gattuso said: "I haven't got caught up on any of it because it's not my job. It's something for the president and his guys.
"They always do this kind of thing. We are worried, of course, but I stay put because the chairman and his entourage will know what to do."
Gattuso: "We hope to get there very fit against Barcelona"
Napoli snatched victory in the 95th minute on Sunday via Matteo Politano after team-mate Arkadiusz Milik's 31st-minute equaliser cancelled out Rodrigo De Paul's opener for Udinese.
Sixth in the standings with four league matches remaining, Gattuso added: "After Covid we are playing another sport.
"Playing every three days without our fans with no time to prepare matches it is hard. I must say that the team is doing well."
"We hope to get there, on August 8 very fit against Barcelona," he continued. "It will be very important the way you get there. If you have the right mentality and I think that in the last couple of months we did well."