Gio Simeone hails Maradona for inspiring Napoli for the Scudetto

Sitting 15 points clear at top of the Serie A table,

has the chance to win their first Scudetto since 1990, which was inspired by the late Argentine icon

.

hails his connection with Napoli fans due to their love for Maradona. He told

:

"Being an Argentinian here is amazing.

"Napoli is different. This club represents the history of Italy, the history of Diego Maradona.

"It is a pleasure for me to play here because every fan sees me as Argentinian and because of Maradona they want to speak to me. It is 'Maradona, Maradona, Maradona'.

"It is not just the club, it is the whole city. Everybody is a fan here. Everybody speaks about football, everybody breathes football.

"Neapolitans are similar to Argentinians. We speak similarly.  We have the same gestures. It feels like home. I am the same as them because football is a passion for me. I am in the right place."

Speaking about his supporting role, Simeone added:

"It is not easy to know that you do not start. When the coach tells me that I will be on the bench, it is difficult for me but I always prepare as if I am starting.

"I need to be ready for everything. Life is like this, you must be ready for the moments that you do have. I am ready for every minute I am given. The quality of the time is more important than the quantity.

"The group is the most important thing. Every player will be needed. If the starting forward does not score, the next one can.

"To get the trophy, we need to be there in every match. My dad says something that I have always tried to remember – partido a partido – match-to-match.

"We need to be prepared for every match, ready for everything, because every three points counts. I feel the same with the Champions League.

"I feel we can play against any club, ready to play against anyone. Then, it is difficult to say if you will win or not. But we are ready. The Champions League is really important to me. I want to be there in June."

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