Hara-kiri, tweets, therapeutic meals: Napoli, crazy week and chronic fatality

Aurelio De Laurentiis was quietly enjoying the sun on his yacht, based near Ischia, a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples. But the president of SSC Napoli has finally decided to cut short his vacation after the hara-kiri of his team last Sunday on the lawn of Empoli. As they quietly led 2-0 ten minutes from the end, Luciano Spalletti’s band was scuttled in seven minutes, conceding three goals and abandoning any title dream, long maintained this season. Furious, the Neapolitan boss, still as volcanic, then ordered his captain to set sail for the city of Vesuvius. After the home defeat against Fiorentina (2-3) and the draw against Roma (1-1), it was too much for him. And what does it matter if the initial objective of the season, which was a qualification for the Champions League, is on the way to being achieved.

While waiting to arrive safely, “ADL” decrees a famous “ritiro”, this Italian word which more or less indicates a green, prohibiting players from returning to their homes once training is finished. Edo De Laurentiis, vice-president of Napoli, validates his father’s decision. Same thing for the sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli. As for Luciano Spalletti, the trainer, he does not oppose it and bends to the will of his leaders. “I had planned to go see my mother who lives near here, but given the situation, for which I am responsible, I am going back to Naples“, warned the Tuscan technician in a press conference after the defeat at Empoli. The decision was made official at the end of the afternoon by a tweet: “The club has decided that the team will go to ritiro from Tuesday, the day of resumption of training“. Before a second follows: “The club clarifies that the decision was made by Spalletti and shared by the management“. Problem, it was the opposite according to the Italian press.

Commissioner De Laurentiis

Made aware of this message, the 60-year-old coach does not really accept having to take responsibility for this decision. On the return train, he would have had a rather stormy discussion with Edo De Laurentiis. Monday morning, new tweet from Napoli. With a press release that could not be more original, which finally cancels the initial greening. Extract : “The novelty is that meetings will take place in the evening at mealtimes to open up more widely to possible criticisms, problems, misunderstandings, quality of play. All to maximize the excellent quality of our players, shown during the first part of the season.” Understand better: we eat together and we tell each other everything. Meals qualified as “therapeutic” to evacuate any unsaid. They are even scheduled in a restaurant in Pozzuoli, a town west of Naples. Two reservations are made: Tuesday evening and Thursday evening.

Throughout the week, De Laurentiis, he did not move. The film producer wanted to make his presence felt by his team by attending all the training sessions scheduled at Castel Volturno. Black jacket on the shoulders, sunglasses on the nose and carefully slicked back hair, “ADL” did not miss anything at the edge of the field. Standing, he watched everything. First to understand the ills of a team in need of results but still third in the championship. Then, too, to make it clear who’s boss. And that for salaries, he is the one who signs the checks. To the point that the Republic of Naples called it true”commissioner” this week. As a perfect communicator and a great accustomed to the cameras, he also took the opportunity to respond to the many media present. With words calculated to the word afterwards, as always.

“I apologize to the tifosi for the defeat in Empolihe blurted out to Sky Italia. I’m back in Castel Volturno after eight months, not of absence, but of silence. When I arrived at the start of the week, I wanted to speak with the coach and the staff. At one point, I said: “Gentlemen, if we continue like this, we will not go anywhere” (…) Going green? It belongs to an archaic and past world. I rather prefer to speak in front of a plate and a glass of wine. And ask my players, “What’s wrong, guys?” (…) I wanted to make a relaxed and confident speech in front of everyone. ” But that was for the carrot. Because the stick is never very far with De Laurentiis.

“There are things I can’t accepthe explained. The teams we face seem brighter and better prepared than us. Me, I spend 136 million euros in salaries, while AC Milan is, I believe, at 96 million (…) Between the Covid and the transfers made before and during the pandemic, we are outside the nails 220 million.”

Finally, concerning the famous therapeutic meals, the Neapolitan president welcomed the experience. “There were four tables of players, at each we exchanged opinions, ideas, then we all went to sleep“, he said, assuring in passing that Luciano Spalletti is not in danger. Indeed, recent dissensions have appeared between the two. “ADL” has publicly criticized his coach for certain changes during the match, before calming things down behind the scenes, probably aware that his team is still third and that it is on the way to finding the C1.

Distrust, however. With Napoli, nothing ever goes as planned. The team is like the city, lulled by emotions. This is what makes its charm, like this passionate and unique love lived with Diego Armando Maradona, but which can also cause its loss. Nervous management remains essential in the quest for a title, in one direction as in the other. Not too much euphoria after a win, not too much disappointment after a loss. In addition to being aware that all clubs go through difficult times in a season, without necessarily falling into psychodrama. After Naples-Roma (1-1), for example, captain Lorenzo Insigne left the lawn in tears, while the title was still largely playable.

“A lack of solid foundations”

There are tons of examples like this. One of the most obvious remains that of the 2017-2018 season, which ended second with 91 points, a record. Napoli was then guided by Maurizio Sarri, who made him produce an exceptional game. During the 34th day, the Parthenopean club achieved the feat by winning on the lawn of Juve (0-1) with a huge header from Kalidou Koulibaly, allowing his team to return to a small point behind the leader at three days from the end. Madness takes hold of Naples: fireworks, horns and processions throughout the city. But a week later, everything falls apart. Led in Milan, Juve overthrew Inter on the wire (2-3) just before Napoli started their match against Fiorentina. Stunned by the victory of its competitor, Sarri’s team bowed dryly (3-0) and said goodbye to the title.

“We lost the scudetto at the hotel“, will reveal the technician a little later. Certainly, the tifosi will have experienced many emotions during this exercise. But in the end, the scudetto ended its race in Turin and in the North. A habit since 2001, the last year in which a The club from the South managed to win the day with AS Roma. Since then, Juve, Inter and Milan have shared the spoils. A coincidence? Not really, since Roman clubs are also subject to often fatal emotions.

“Napoli may not have enough solid foundations like a house should haveexplains Vincenzo Credendino, journalist for the Calcio Napoli 24 television channel. The club has a president, but it lacks important figures who can connect with the group, in addition to a lack of structures. These are small things that very big clubs have, but not Napoli. When you don’t have an important structure and things get serious, the team crumbles in the decisive moment. The city is emotional, but a solid base would handle it all. It’s no coincidence that all the coaches after Sarri end up having difficulties: Ancelotti, Gattuso, Spalletti… When all is well, the coach is a god. And when things go wrong, it’s all his fault. The last coach able to unite is precisely Sarri, who did not really have an idyllic relationship with De Laurentiis during his last months…”