Rrahmani: 'Anything can happen in Napoli vs. Arsenal'
Quick summary
Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani has spoken ahead of the club's match against Arsenal, suggesting the tie remains wide open.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceAmir Rrahmani warns Napoli must ‘focus on the present and the future,’ but warns ‘anything can happen’ against Arsenal in the Champions League tonight.
It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.
The Partenopei have stuttered so far this season since Max Allegri took over from Antonio Conte, scraping a victory away to Genoa before back-to-back defeats against Como and Inter.
Rrahmani forgets Conte’s Napoli PISA, ITALY – MAY 17: Amir Rrahmani of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring a goal with Scott McTominay of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between Pisa SC and SSC Napoli at Arena Garibaldi on May 17, 2026 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) “In football, you need to think about the present, because if you keep chasing the past, you experience a lie,” Rrahmani told Amazon Prime Italia.
“You must always focus on the present and the future, on what can benefit you going forward. Anything can happen this evening, as Arsenal are a very strong opponent, so it’s an important test for the defence and the whole team.
“We’ll see what happens, a lot also depends on our opponents and the approach they want to take against us.”
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Donyell Malen of AS Roma battles for possession with Amir Rrahmani of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 15, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) They go into this Champions League opener without Scott McTominay, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Alessandro Buongiorno, Luca Marianucci and Giovane, while David Neres is not 100 per cent fit either.
It means Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour make their first starts of the season, despite not being fully fit, as there are few other alternatives.
Napoli didn’t get beyond the group phase of the Champions League last season, but Conte did have a poor career record in that tournament, certainly compared to Allegri.
Allegri has 100 Champions League games in his career, winning 45, drawing 26 and losing 29 including two Finals for Juventus.
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What happened
Amir Rrahmani, centre-back for Napoli, has given a pre-match interview ahead of the team's upcoming fixture against Arsenal. His comments — 'anything can happen' — suggest Napoli approach the tie with confidence despite facing a strong opponent. The match is a high-profile European encounter, with Rrahmani highlighting the unpredictability of the occasion.
Chance analysis
Rrahmani's words reflect a Napoli side unwilling to be cast as underdogs. For a defender speaking publicly, framing the tie as open rather than daunting signals belief in the squad's capacity to compete at the highest European level. These are the kind of pre-match comments that set the tone for a big European night — a reminder that knockout football rarely follows the form book.
No direct sporting impact; Rrahmani's comments frame Napoli as confident underdogs but reveal no new team news.