Napoli training retreat continues after win over Fiorentina

Just because Napoli won doesn't mean that they don't need to keep focused, and so it is that the club is heading back in to their media blackout and in to their training retreat at the Castelvolturno.

The retreat was imposed by Aurelio De Laurentiis after the Coppa Italia loss to Lazio midweek, and while it apparently caused Rafa Benitez to try to resign, it seems to have helped the players. While some of the squad's issues were still apparent, the players played much better on a whole than they have in weeks. Hoping to spur further improvements, the enforced withdrawal is set to continue at least through Thursday's Europa League match against Wolfsburg.

Napoli are facing a difficult stretch of their schedule, with that midweek match followed closely by a road trip to Zdenek Zeman's Cagliari, then home ties against Woflsburg and Sampdoria, then with the month closed out with a road trip to Empoli. The only match in there that's theoretically easy is Cagliari, and even that's no treat given the way Zeman's side stunned Napoli with a comeback draw in November.

Hopefully this midseason training camp of sorts continues to have a positive impact on the squad. Goodness knows Napoli need it right now.