Gokhan Inler approaches Torino-Udinese with the focus of an executive rather than the nostalgia of a former midfielder. Yet the following night’s Villarreal-Napoli fixture brings back one of the defining European passages of his playing career: Napoli’s remarkable route out of a Champions League group shared with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Villarreal.
Udinese face Torino after a 21-day break in which, Inler said, the club have worked well. He expects a demanding evening but believes the team are ready for it, with his attention firmly on the immediate task.
Quick facts
- Inler is now an Udinese executive and will be involved in the club’s trip to Torino.
- Fifteen years ago, he scored in Napoli’s 2-0 Champions League win at Villarreal.
- Napoli finished second in a group containing Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Villarreal, collecting 11 points.
- They later went out to eventual champions Chelsea after extra time in the last 16.
- Inler believes the current Napoli side have the depth and leadership to handle a crowded schedule.
That Napoli campaign remains unusual in its scale. The Italian side lost only in Munich, where they were beaten 3-2, and finished above Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City. Inler considers the second place fully earned, even if the draw that followed offered little mercy.
The decisive visit to Villarreal had become increasingly tense before Inler opened the scoring. Napoli had struggled to break the match open, and he recalled sensing the anxiety on the pitch and on Walter Mazzarri’s bench, to the point where he thought a substitution might be coming.
Instead, he let the ball run, struck with power and put Napoli ahead. Marek Hamsik added the second around ten minutes later, sending the club into the round of 16.
There, Chelsea ended Napoli’s run after an extraordinary two-legged tie. Napoli won the first match 3-1 at the stadium then known as the San Paolo, although Ashley Cole cleared Christian Maggio’s effort from the line when a fourth goal could have altered the entire contest.
Chelsea replied with a 3-1 win in London and progressed after extra time before going on to lift the Champions League. Inler also scored at Stamford Bridge, controlling a high ball with his chest before finding the corner, a goal he rates above his Villarreal strike.
European demands and Napoli’s response
Inler sees a different Champions League landscape now, with the modern format offering more opportunity to recover from an early setback. The standards, however, remain exceptionally high, as does the appeal of the competition’s atmosphere.
He views Napoli as a side with substance that have moved beyond early difficulties. Inler said the squad possess clear talent and enough international experience to meet the demands of playing every three days.
The current calendar has become particularly compressed after the three-week interruption, leaving European clubs to play nine matches in less than a month. Inler agreed with Stanislav Lobotka’s concerns over the workload, but said proper management is essential rather than optional.
His own playing career was built around that discipline: rest, nutrition and a quiet life away from football, with family taking priority over nights out. He does not present that as a unique formula, but as a necessary professional habit shared by many players.
At Udinese, the work now continues once training or a match has ended. Inler describes the role as a commitment in every direction, involving support for departments across the club as well as close attention to players arriving from different countries and cultures.
Speaking five languages helps, but he says his responsibility is to give the club everything he can and keep improving. Torino-Udinese is the immediate chapter; Villarreal-Napoli will carry memories of another one. His verdict on both is similarly restrained: Udinese believe in their preparation, while Napoli have the qualities to come through a difficult European test.
