The often outspoken Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis was in colourful form on Friday night, as he launched a subtle dig in the direction of Luciano Spalletti during a Gigi D’Alessio concert at the Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples.
The owner took to the stage and told the crowd that “being in Naples is a privilege, not an obligation,” suggesting that he believes Spalletti is the one responsible for ending the relationship, which had worked so successfully over the course of the 2022-23 season.
Despite leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years, Spalletti will step down as coach at the end of the season, much to the surprise of the supporters when the news originally broke.
Going into more detail on Friday night, De Laurentiis added: “Last June I promised you, daringly, that we would bring the Scudetto to Naples and we succeeded.
“Now we have all begun a new cycle. Now, you have to find that patience again. We are on a new journey and in the next few years we must all win again, together.”
As well as the departing Spalletti, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is also ready to leave the club and join Juventus before the start of the next campaign, meaning that it is set to be wholesale change among the backroom staff at the Stadio Maradona over the summer.
In the meantime, De Laurentiis is calling the shots, and after a successful summer of recruitment last year, he remains confident that he will be able to make the right appointments to lead Napoli to more success in the future.
Among the list of potential replacements for Spalletti are former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, Bologna’s Thiago Motta and Vincenzo Italiano of Fiorentina.