It must be strange if Napoli does not announce the departure of Luciano Spalletti in the short term. The trainer has been at odds with chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis for a long time. A national title cannot glue things together.
“National title cannot glue things together: Spalletti away from Napoli”
That Spalletti is leaving, they are sure in Italy. Almost all leading Italian media are already anticipating the coach’s departure, although Napoli has not yet communicated anything about it. That seems only a matter of time, according to Spalletti’s words. “A decision has been made, but it’s up to the club to announce it.”
One of the stumbling blocks is Spalletti’s contract. The contract was unilaterally extended by one year by De Laurentiis, without the trainer knowing anything about it. As a result, interested clubs have to pay a lump sum payment of several million euros. At the same time, Spalletti hoped for a better contract. “This is a situation that has been brewing for some time,” Spalletti said last weekend. ‘When you work from morning to evening, some things stay in your mind because you have to be ‘on’ all the time. If you are not convinced that you can give what these people deserve, it is good to think about your future. This doesn’t just come out of the blue.’
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, it is certain that Spalletti will leave Napoli. It is not known what his plans are, but the newspaper does not rule out a one-year break. Meanwhile, Rafa Benítez and Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta) are being put forward as possible successors, although at the moment that seems like pure speculation.
Napoli recently became national champion of Italy for the first time in 33 years. Spalletti’s team is currently on 86 points and has one game to play. The lead on number two Juventus is no less than seventeen points.
Simon Kjaer insists there was no tense encounter with Rossoneri fans
In other Serie A news, Simon Kjaer has addressed the fans after the disappointing elimination from the Champions League. “The supporters indicated that they were very disappointed, but they also know that there is still a crucial match on the program on Tuesday evening and that we will then throw everything into the fight,” said Milan defender Kjaer to DAZN about the return in the Champions League against Inter.
“I don’t know how the meeting with the fans came about, but I see it as something positive. Our fans are always very involved, in good times and bad. I understand that the images of the meeting may suggest otherwise, but the supporters are really behind us,” said the Danish international.
Kjaer understands the frustration among the supporters. “It is difficult for anyone to understand why we struggle so much with our form and give away points so easily. We are Milan and we have to take the initiative in every match. We must forget this defeat and clear our heads again. That is the only solution for now,” concludes the 34-year-old defender.