Feldkirchen it is

By: Joe | July 15th, 2007

Calaio in a white kit with blue scoring boots
We got some midfielders who really can scoot
Bogliacino whipping in crosses down on the wings
These are a few of my favorite things.

Napoli will head for the Austrian city of Feldkirchen on Wednesday, July 18. Reja will take the boys up north for two weeks of running, wiener schnitzeling and more running. Fitness will be key for Napoli if their return to Serie A is to last. Look for the plodders (Grava, Sosa & Montervino) to get pushed by the youngsters (Rullo, Garics & Lavezzi) for playing time. Watching the team turnover and get quicker and younger is nice to think about but how the squad comes together in these critical weeks will be interesting to watch.

a round door is all it would take to attract frodo baggins

Three of the four friendlies were announced:

July 21 vs. SV Freistadt

July 25 vs. SC Schwanenstadt

~~July 28 vs.~~ ~~Watford FC~~

July 28 vs. Israeli team (TBD)

August 1 vs. Red Bull Salzburg

I can’t figure out a damn thing about their first opponent. The pictures on the web site are worth your time to look through. SC Schwanenstadt plays in the Austrian First League (2nd division) and Watford were recently relegated to the Coca-Cola Championship after winning promotion to the English Premier League the year before in a thrilling playoff victory.

One more friendly is planned on August 1 and then Napoli will head back for the Trofeo Birra Moretti on August 8 at San Paolo against Juventus and Inter Milan.

Note: Friendly versus Watford was cancelled and replaced with a match against an as yet-to-be-determined Israeli squad. Watford’s season begins in early August so the squad begged off this friendly. Napoli will also face Giovanni Trappatoni’s Red Bull side who won the Austrian Bundesliga title last year on August 1.