De Laurentiis anger at Spalletti: ‘Coaches forget they are just employees’

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis arrives for the screening of the film "Freaks Out" presented in competition on September 8, 2021 during the 78th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis hit out at Luciano Spalletti, now at Juventus, with warnings for others too. ‘Coaches tend to forget they remain only employees.’

The patron was receiving an award in Rome and spoke to reporters about numerous subjects, including his plans to build a new stadium separate from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

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You can read the rest of his comments here.

De Laurentiis lashes out at coaches

“I would want to have a team made up only young players,” insisted De Laurentiis.

Spalletti won the Scudetto in 2023, but then insisted on leaving the club, only a few weeks later taking the Italy job.

This prompted a bitter split with De Laurentiis, who has evidently still not shaken it off, as he grimaced when the reporters asked about him today.

“Don’t make me talk about Spalletti… Coaches must understand that they are collaborators called to direct the orchestra formed of the players, but they remain just employees.

“At times, they tend to forget that. Am I being clear?”

It could also be seen as a warning for the coaches who followed Spalletti at Napoli, namely Antonio Conte and the current boss Max Allegri.

The fact that Spalletti is now at Juventus could also be behind the frustration, as the President said more about his views.

“I threw myself into football, after winning two Scudetto titles and five cups in 22 years, bringing enthusiasm back to the people and being the team in Europe for the most consecutive seasons. I even went through Calciopoli and had success without ever cheating, which is fundamental for me.”