Albiol meets Napoli fans in Valencia, says he'd like to return

Raúl Albiol was recognised among the Napoli supporters at Valencia airport as they flew home after the 3-1 defeat at Villarreal's Cerámica stadium. He stopped to talk to a group of fans and answered a question about his future too.

Asked about a possible return, he did not dodge the question.

"In the future, then, who knows. I would like to go back to Napoli to do something. It would be important."

It is not the first time Albiol has said as much: back in 2019, saying goodbye to the city in an interview with Sky, he left the same door open.

The defender, now at Villarreal, watched the Cerámica game from the home stands. He admitted Napoli's first half had been positive and credited Villarreal for a win that came in the second half. Before kick-off he had said Napoli could still be competitive in Serie A and fight for a Champions League playoff spot — a prediction the 3-1 defeat, and zero points after two matchdays, have complicated rather than ruled out.

Albiol's "who knows" remains a hope, not a plan: no role, no date attached. This is the same Albiol who in recent days named Rafa Marín as his possible successor in defence, a thread linking his Napoli past to the team's present. That present demands something different on Saturday 17 October at the Penzo, against Venezia: an immediate reaction after the Cerámica.