Former Ajax loanee Lorenzo Lucca faced scathing criticism from Troy Deeney on CBS Sports Golazo, where the former Premier League striker labeled the Napoli forward one of the worst players he has ever seen.
Voetbalzone reported that Deeney took aim at the Italian striker following a tumultuous week for the Serie A club, which included a 4-1 defeat in the Champions League to FC Porto and a 1-1 draw against Lazio.
The friction inside the Napoli squad spilled into public view during the midweek European fixture in Portugal. Television cameras caught Lucca and teammate Kevin De Bruyne engaged in a heated verbal altercation on the pitch.
According to Voetbal International, Lucca told the Belgian midfielder to “fuck off” during the match. Deeney expressed absolute disbelief at the exchange on CBS Sports, noting that De Bruyne has won every major honor in world football.
“With the greatest of respect, he is lucky to be a footballer because he is one of the worst strikers I have ever seen,” Deeney said in broadcast remarks reported by Ajax Showtime. “And then you look at it and he tells Kevin De Bruyne to fuck off.”
Deeney argued that the incident on the pitch reflects a deeper cultural divide within the Napoli dressing room under manager Massimiliano Allegri. VoetbalPrimeur noted that the analyst described a split squad where Italian players and foreign imports operate in separate camps.
Further compounding the tension, defender Leonardo Spinazzola voiced frustration after the Porto loss, stating he wished other players would step forward instead of always leaving the burden on the Italians. Deeney also pointed to comments from teammate Rasmus Højlund regarding disagreements with the coaching staff.
Lucca joined Napoli permanently in 2026 after initial loan spells from Udinese and Pisa, following his temporary stint at Ajax during the 2022-23 season. Ajax Showtime detailed that the forward also endured an unsuccessful loan spell at Nottingham Forest, making just four appearances.
This season, Lucca has struggled to secure a regular starting berth under Allegri. Across all competitions, the tall striker has made 13 appearances, starting only twice and failing to find the back of the net. FCUpdate.nl reported that during the weekend draw with Lazio, Lucca was whistled by his own supporters as Napoli slipped to tenth place in the Serie A standings.
Napoli returns to action following the international break as the squad prepares for upcoming domestic fixtures to climb out of the bottom half of the Serie A table.
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