Giovane expressed his surprise upon learning this morning that he “might have to start” in an unfamiliar role for Napoli against Milan, following Rasmus Hojlund’s sudden illness.
This match was a crucial Scudetto showdown, set to determine which team would enter the final seven rounds as a genuine challenger to league leaders Inter.
Napoli faced a challenging situation, losing Hojlund to a stomach bug just hours before kick-off. The team was already grappling with injuries to key players like Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Amir Rrahmani, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Giovane was deployed as a makeshift centre-forward, but it was Politano who came off the bench to capitalize on a poor header from Koni De Winter, scoring the winning goal.
Giovane’s Sudden New Role: No Time to Prepare
Reports about Hojlund’s condition began to circulate in the afternoon, but Napoli themselves only discovered the full extent of his illness shortly before the match.
“When I arrived at the camp this morning, I couldn’t see Hojlund, because he wasn’t well,” Giovane told DAZN Italia.
“Everyone started telling me I ought to get ready, because I might have to play. I am a young guy, I know that I need to improve and learn, and this is a role I have played only a few times.”
“I am happy it went well, I really needed a performance like this against a great team like Milan.”
Giovane, who joined Napoli in January from Hellas Verona, has typically been used as a winger and not a centre-forward.
“I had only played there at youth level, but I was ready to help the team. The coach told me to do the counter-movements in the second half, and that adjustment proved effective.”
Having arrived a few months ago, the Brazilian player is yet to fully discover the joys of living in Naples.
“I am rather reserved and don’t really like going out much; Juan Jesus tells me I am a weird Brazilian. What I’ve seen of the city is beautiful, it reminds me of Brazil, so I hope to see more of it.”
