Former Chelsea and Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has said he will starting taking his coaching badges this summer after, he hopes, guiding Napoli to the Serie A title
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Romelu Lukaku is enjoying life at Napoli.
Romelu Lukaku is enjoying life at Napoli.(Image: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Romelu Lukaku says he is preparing for life after scoring goals by starting his coaching badges this summer. The Napoli striker remains locked in a tense battle for the Serie A title under Antonio Conte but his mind is already looking ahead to the long-term future.
“I think I do want to be a coach, a part of me believes that, but on the other hand, I also still have a few doubts,” Lukaku told Radio CRC. “I will start my coaching badges at the end of the season, beginning the UEFA A and UEFA B courses, then I’ll see what I feel like doing.”
Lukaku, 31, moved to Naples from Chelsea last summer in a £30m deal and said he was blown away by the atmosphere during the warm-up of his first home game.
“I never experienced something like that during a warm-up. After the game, I asked Dries Mertens if it was always like that, and he confirmed this is pretty much constant.
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"The cheer of the crowd pushes you on, it puts pressure on your opponents. When it happens, that becomes difficult for the other team.”
Napoli are three points behind leaders Internazionale with nine games remaining and Lukaku has contributed 10 goals plus eight assists so far for Conte’s side.
The January departure of Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain has prompted a change in system from Conte that sees Lukaku partner Giacomo Raspadori up front.
Romelu Lukaku during his time at Chelsea.
Romelu Lukaku during his time at Chelsea.(Image: Getty Images)
And the Belgian added: “Communication is essential, we all have different characteristics, but we can play together.
“This also helps the coach to make his decisions. We are a group who get along off the field too, every Tuesday we organise Call of Duty tournaments with 10-12 players.”
Lukaku, whose son is a striker in the academy at Brussels club Anderlecht, remains under contract at Napoli until the summer of 2027.
He added of his offspring: “He wants to play in attack, not defence. He is certainly more technically gifted than me, but is working really well at Anderlecht. Naturally, I do not interfere with the work of his coaches.”
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