Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri feels his side is regarded higher outside Italy than they are in their homeland.
The southerners entertain Bayern Munich in Champions League Group A on Tuesday with the Germans claiming they are the best team in Italy.
But Mazzarri says such recognition is not forthcoming in his country.
"In England, Germany and Spain everyone knows that we're a complete team," he moaned.
"They realise that we play attacking football, it's only in Italy that you hear things said that aren't true.
"People talk only about counter attack whereas we look to have possession of the ball.
"I've been doing this job for many years so I'm vaccinated (against criticism).
"I'm happy I get nailed to the cross when we lose, at least no-one touches the team.
"To get results you need to play the perfect game. I don't want to exaggerate with adjectives but Bayern are a team of champions in stratospheric form.
"In the last 10 matches they've won nine and drawn one. They've scored 25 goals and conceded one.
"We're coming up against one of the teams with the greatest tradition on a world level.
"We need to be balanced and try to exploit every tiny error our opponents make."
Mutual appreciation has been the order of the day in the build up to this game.
Not only have Bayern lauded Napoli as the best in their country but the Italians' Slovakia forward Marek Hamsik places the club from Munich amongst the top two teams on the planet.
"I've dreamt of playing in a game like this since I was a child. The game against Bayern isn't decisive for qualification but it's a great match between the top two in the standings," he said.
"As far as I'm concerned, alongside Barcelona, Bayern are the best team in the world."
For Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis the club's recent progress has given him belief that anything is possible.
"We started from the bottom, we said we could achieve great things, we reached the Champions League, we were dealt the hardest group and now we remain with our feet on the ground," he said.
"Everything is possible in football, the ball is round and we hope that we'll be in the game."
The two sides have met in European competition once before when the Italians won through to the 188/89 UEFA Cup final with a 4-2 aggregate success.
Napoli's Goran Pandev also scored the late winner for Inter Milan last season when they dumped Bayern out of the Champions League second round.
He was also in the Inter side that beat Bayern in the 2010 Champions League final, although he is likely to start on the bench at the San Paolo.
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Source: AFP
