Allegri frustrated with Napoli veterans including De Bruyne as warning echoes Conte

NAPLES, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 13: Massimiliano Allegri SSC Napoli head coachduring the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Bologna FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 13, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

According to La Repubblica, Massimiliano Allegri is disappointed with the attitude of several Napoli players, especially the most experienced, and his latest warning echoed a similar message from Antonio Conte a year ago.

“Allegri and Napoli’s honeymoon is over,” La Repubblica newspaper wrote on Tuesday.

The Partenopei have earned only seven points in the opening five Serie A games of the season, the fewest since the 2015-16 campaign.

Aside from tactical issues and a considerable number of players unavailable, including Scott McTominay, Repubblica notes that the environment behind the scenes at Castel Volturno, Napoli’s training centre, is far from ideal.

Allegri did not hide his unhappiness at full-time after a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina on Sunday, looking very frustrated during his post-match interviews and press conference, attended by Football Italia.

According to Repubblica, Allegri is particularly upset with the attitude of the team’s most experienced players.

The Italian tactician initially took a soft approach with the veterans, sparing them an overly demanding physical program during the pre-season and trying to lighten the mood during summer training sessions.

Allegri expected that approach to pay off, believing the players’ appreciation would reward it, but what he saw on the pitch was far from what he had anticipated.

Repubblica notes that after the draw in Florence, Allegri started using the stick rather than the carrot, admitting that Napoli players are “not doing enough” and that a “different attitude is needed.”

Allegri’s outburst was reminiscent of Conte’s inflammatory press conference a year ago when he said, after a defeat against Bologna, that he “would not accompany a dead man.”

Among the players, Allegri is unhappy with ex-Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who has struggled to live up to expectations since joining the Partenopei in 2025 and already lost his starting spot under Conte in the final months of the previous campaign after returning from a lengthy injury.

Repubblica notes that Allegri has also received little support from the club, especially after accepting almost no transfer activity during the summer window.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis has stayed far from the Stadio Maradona in the first few outings this season, leaving Allegri and his staff to handle emergencies that led to some altercations at the Napoli training centre.

One of those saw Noa Lang left out of the team for a Champions League game against Arsenal for disciplinary reasons, while other incidents remained unpunished.