Napoli cancels Allegri's pre-match press conference five minutes before the start

The cancellation

Napoli called off the pre-match press conference that Massimiliano Allegri was due to hold at Castel Volturno, scheduled for 15.00 on 7 November. Journalists were already seated in the press room when the head of the club's press office told them the session was cancelled. The notice reached reporters at 14.55, five minutes before the start. The stated reason was that the squad is in training camp, which the club said meant no public statements. Club staff had to apologise to reporters who had already arrived at the sports centre.

Reported tensions

Lastampa reported that De Laurentiis was irritated by the announcement of a YouTube live broadcast of the briefing and by an agency item about Allegri's alleged resignation. Italian Eurosport channels had said on the eve that the coach's future hung by a thread and that Stefano Pioli was the president's favourite to replace him after a defeat. Club circles rejected the resignation reports with a joke, saying they were as likely as Meloni moving to the Partito Democratico. De Laurentiis met Allegri and sporting director Manna at Castel Volturno in an attempt to reassure the coach and rouse the players. Lastampa said Allegri remains in his post, but the atmosphere at the club is far from calm.

Results and injuries

Napoli have lost seven of their first 14 matches this season, and the last two came against Juventus and Porto. The defeat in Porto, a 4-1 loss at the Estadio do Dragao, was a heavy setback in the Champions League. Captain Di Lorenzo is out with a left adductor injury, which adds to a long list of absentees. Buongiorno, Spinazzola, Lobotka, Badiashile, Favasuli, Alisson Santos and Neres are unavailable, and Marianucci is suspended. Olivera has returned to training with the group and could return to the squad. On the Lazio side, Zaccagni is missing with a quadriceps injury.

Lazio and Gattuso

Lazio top the table, unbeaten after ten matchdays with nine wins and one draw. Gennaro Gattuso met reporters and asked his players not to be distracted by the top spot. He said:

“We are not thinking about the top spot, but about producing our performances. We have to keep pedalling hard, match after match.”

Gattuso knows the Naples environment, where he coached and won a Coppa Italia, and he knows Allegri well. He said he has never beaten Allegri and argued that the coach keeps his clarity in difficult moments, which is why he does not trust him:

“The history says I have never yet beaten him. He always finds clarity in moments of difficulty. That is why I do not trust him.”

What comes next

The Lazio match falls in the last week before the international break. Napoli play at the Maradona on Sunday, 8 November, with kick-off at 12.30. Lastampa reported that the club is looking for a way out of the crisis, while Allegri's position remains unchanged for now.