Incredible statement in Italy |
Naples boss no longer wants to sign Africans
Respect is different…
Aurelio de Laurentiis (73), controversial president of SSC Napoli, no longer wants to sign African players. The reason: too many international matches!
“Basta with the Africans, unless they don’t play the Africa Cup anymore. For this reason, I won’t sign any more,” the Italian rumbled in an interview. “We’re the idiots who pay the salaries just to send them around the world to play for others.”
Background: Unlike the European Championship or the World Cup, the Africa Cup is not held during the summer break but at the beginning of the year every two years.
The fact that the players are not available during this period does not suit the Naples boss at all: “I love them, but either they sign something confirming that they are not participating in the Africa Cup, or they are between them tournament and World Cup qualifiers in South America!”
After years in Naples, Kalidou Koulibaly said goodbye to Chelsea in the summer
Kalidou Koulibaly (31), who has just moved from Naples to Chelsea, counters his ex-president: “The most important thing is to respect everyone. It’s true that it was difficult to fly to the Africa Cup of Nations during the season I was in Naples. But as Senegal’s captain, I don’t think it’s right to speak of an African national team that deserves respect. If that’s de Laurentiis’ idea, I respect it.”
Koulibaly had triumphed with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations in January and February, when he was still playing for Napoli, and his club missed six competitive games as a result.
De Defender continues on de Laurentiis: “It is his right to believe that he can build a team without Afrikaner. But I’m sure a lot of people in Naples don’t think like him, either in the city or in society.”
