The African Football Confederation released a formal statement condemning ‘irresponsible and unacceptable’ remarks made by Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis, calling for UEFA to take disciplinary action.
The comments were made during a live streamed event in which De Laurentiis complained he did not want to sign any more African players unless they provided written guarantees they would not participate in the Africa Cup of Nations.
As this is played in January and February, players can be ruled out for up to six weeks if they participate in the tournament, without the usual World Cup provisions to stop domestic leagues.
It is hardly the first time that De Laurentiis has made inadvisable or offensive comments, but this time the news reached the CAF.
“CAF is appalled by the irresponsible and unacceptable remarks made by Napoli President, Mr Aurelio De Laurentiis on African players and the Africa Cup of Nations,” read a formal statement.
“By publicly declaring that players who sign for Napoli must sign a waiver denouncing participation in the Africa Cup of Nations as a condition of employment, De Laurentiis’ comments likely to fall under Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations. CAF therefore urges UEFA to initiate disciplinary investigation against him.
“CAF is committed to the role that football plays in Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia and globally of bringing together and uniting people of different cultures, language groups, races, ethnic groups and religious backgrounds.
“We have no doubt that Napoli and UEFA are as committed as CAF is to these global humanitarian objectives.
“Are we to assume that the Chairman of Napoli is going to include similar restrictive conditions to players from South America, Asia and other Confederations prohibiting them from playing in their Continental competitions which are important for the development and growth of football globally?
“The African Cup of Nations is the flagship competition of the African continent and one of the leading global football competitions. Its last edition in Cameroon was shown in more than 160 countries and attracted more than 600 million viewers.”
offensive?? Irresponsible?? His comments are anything but offensive or irresponsible. Napoli are not a prem club with money printing machines and earning millions from TV. They can’t afford to have two starting lineups. He owns the club and he decides who he wants to buy. Neither UEFA or anyone else’s business. He buys players who end up going away for international tournaments mid season, severely affecting the team’s performance at a time when you most need your best players. It makes complete sense to be responsible with who you decide to purchase.
I think the guy is entitled to his opinion and should be allowed to speak his mind. Cancel culture has gone a little too far recently
I can guess ( Rosario & Rob) reading your comments that neither of you are affected by that statements considering you are neither black nor African.. De Laurentis is known for his stupidity but these kind of statements are irresponsible and disrespectful. Europe has more competition including a new one ( Nations league) where players return exhausted and with injuries and yet this fool didn’t complain about European competitions but when it comes to African competition, it’s a problem. You buy African players because they are cheaper and you need them not because anyone forces you and it’s your loss because at the end of the day, Napoli can’t afford good European players but they can buy good African players cheap so we will see
@Rosario @ sam @rob =3 complete fools, man deserves a a hefty fine
@Stan.
‘You buy African players because they are cheaper…’
Osimhen – 75m Euro.
Anguissa – 15m Euro
MOHAMMED
Then go and follow your local league, if you’re so upset.
You MUST sign Africans.
@Stan.
‘You buy African players because they are cheaper…’
Tchouameni – 72m
Mane – 30m
Lukuku – £7.5m lo*n fee
Kounde – £45m
Koulibaly – £35m
Aguerd – £32m
Haller – £28m
Adeyemi – £27m
Bissouma – £27m
@ Rosario…
Watch out for the spirit that’s speaks through you! It’s has a theme and colour of bias! Simply because you are Italian or Napoli fans shouldn’t blind you to hate speech! When you see one. No one mandated him to buy African players, he went for them…so De laurentis is an examples of a fool at the helms of affairs that has come to define italian society! I can go on and on mentioning names but man! He was damn wrong!
@Adel.
You said one thing right. No one asked him to buy the players he did. The same way no one can ask him or push him to buy the players he doesn’t want to buy.
Define Italian society? What is that supposed to mean, exactly? The country who despite receiving zero help from the EU continues to save africans from drowning every single day? And you call him a fool?
Football is a business. He can buy and sell whoever he likes.
@Rosario…
You are absolutely correct! I posted a similar comment last week when this story was originally reported.
The globalist, neo-marxists know nothing about running a business and, therefore, resort to making arguments based on emotions and PC axioms de jurè.
He can buy players based on whatever criteria he wants.
Not having certain player for 1,5 month per season is a valid reason to not sign them.
Nothing wrong with that at all.
@Vittorio
Give these the opportunity and their level of anti Italian sentiments on this page is perplexing.
They come from every corner of the globe pretending to have loved Italian clubs for decades, and yet most of their comments are littered with whinging, whining, denigrating clubs, managers and even more comically, societies as well.
Some of your ‘societies’ put laws in place making carrying a rainbow flag punishable, and yet a patron of a club can’t pick and choose who he wants to buy because he fells the impact of them go off to tournaments mid season. Absolutely astonishing.
Wth is wrong with this site, typed a lot and can’t even get posted.
Anyway let’s face this with clarity. It is easy to paint ADL in negative light because of his divisive characters. However, his points are actually legit, which business owner would love to see SOME OF his BEST employees to be sent to work on other ventures during the high season and still be paying them? Not to mention that the said employees might came back exhausted or worse, injured.
He wasn’t the first to raise this issue, but the most recent and vocal. If we can move past the race cards, we might have a constructive dialogue about how to deal with this issue. Together.
@ Rosario! Exactly, he shouldn’t whine and slander because no one mandated him to buy them…besides for the records Milan had 2 African player as a starter yet they won the scudetto! His whine is a smoke screen to diverted attention from the bigger issues! Liverpool, Mancity, PSG and Bayern all had Africans yet had a very good season and none of them complain…so it’s said only an empty vessels make the loudest noise, such is De laurentis, he should come out clean and make known to the public that Koulibaly,sale was painful cuz he had been their best player for many years now.
@Adel.
Firstly. He isn’t whining. He is making an executive decision as a man who saved Napoli from oblivion and took them into the champions league.
Second. I’m very grateful to Ballo-Toure, Bennacer, Kessie and will be also IF Adli wears our colours with pride irrespective of whether he represents France or a team who will or might play in the AFCON. BUT. Kessie twice came back injured from international duty last season. He was injured post the olympics and wasn’t fit at the start of the season, and also returned with a knock after playing in the AFCON. Whilst I welcome players from any country who can represent Milan well, I’d much rather we sign a player who doesn’t miss many weeks mid season. Even when they go away with Italy I’m a bundle of nerves, fearing they might return injured.
Third. I think you’ll find that De Laurentiis is one of many dissenting voices regarding the timing of the AFCON. It is debated all the time in England during the tournament itself, and even Klopp asked for a winter break because of it.
Interesting thread. I will agree with Napoli president if same measure can be dished out to Asia, South America and North America players