Aurelio De Laurentiis opened up to La Repubblica, discussing everything from stadiums in Italy and young people’s interest in football to Napoli’s transfer targets and his suggestion for the schedule.
The Partenopei confirmed their first Scudetto in 33 years earlier this month, sparking wild scenes of celebration and joy in the Campania capital, a just reaction to the incredible work carried out by Luciano Spalletti and his players this season.
With the season now drawing to a close, much has been written about the future of this Napoli, from various stars like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to coach Spalletti and director Cristiano Giuntoli.
Speaking to La Repubblica, De Laurentiis first discussed his vision of a footballing school for youngsters.
“The video game industry are super millionaires, there are fantastic products that kids play either alone, which is even more negative, or connected in groups. All this distracts them from football. Then we need to get them back on the right track for a moment.
“I would ask the Minister of Education to imagine a couple of one-hour lessons a month, where the Spalletti or Ancelotti of the situation starts to tell the students, from primary to high school, what a game is, what a formation means, what the players’ roles are.
“It would be enough to take the last World Cup final, Argentina-France, and vivisect it to tell them what a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 is, what the difference is between a central striker or a second striker, between a three and a four-man defence.
“This would bring the very young closer to football, they would all eventually become super-experts and could pretend to be the coaches or commentators, amused and entertaining, of any virtual broadcast of a match.”
He then gave his thoughts on football stadiums in Italy.
“We have a big problem with the stadiums. With a few rare exceptions, they are obsolete, the match can hardly be seen, there is an athletics track, like in Napoli or Rome. And then, do we want to bring families there?
“Do we want to make it possible for people to stay at the stadium all day to have fun, to eat? I would celebrate weddings and first communions at the stadium.
“Perhaps the Church would be disturbed, but it would be enough to erect a blessed altar, we did it in the retreat at Dimaro, how many times did Cardinal Sepe come to officiate mass and no one was ever shocked?
“The football pitch is underestimated and underused, it could bring benefits in terms of turnover. And then we have the virtual stadium, we must succeed in winning back the young.
“And fight piracy, which has killed us, in eight years it has taken us from the 4.3 million subscribers we had to 1.9 million.
“I hope that Meloni succeeds in getting the new law against piracy passed without ifs, ands, or buts, without any influence from the big groups that would most likely instead like the green light on the web without any imposition or blockade.”
The Napoli president suggested sweeping changes to the European footballing calendar.
“I have an idea. Why play in winter with snow, rain, hail? Couldn’t we start all over Europe on April 1? It’s not an April fool’s joke, but a necessity. In seven months until October, national leagues and European cups could be played.
“From November to March there are five months left for the players to rest, go on retreat, play with the national teams. If I have African players, why should I deprive myself of them for the African Cup in January?
“UEFA and FIFA are absent out of egotism and selfishness. For them there are only votes to be reconfirmed, but they do not pose these problems.
“At the Champions League final in Paris a year ago there were people who risked death, screaming children, frightened mothers, this is not doing football any favours, on the contrary it is mortifying it.
“UEFA and FIFA operate in a dominant position and nobody tells them anything. They should sit down at the table with us and be respectful of our leagues, which for the fans come before the European and national cups.
“I have players coming and going from South America or Asia in 48 hours and then they have to play for us the next day: madness. Now the tournaments start in August, some even in July. And the weather is shifting, we evaluate that too.”
De Laurentiis spoke about the European Super League project and what changes could be made to European football.
“The idea of a European competition with the best teams from each league I put aside a little, otherwise everyone will get angry. I said that €10 billion should be brought to the table, not the €4-5 billion that UEFA is going to guarantee from the next cycle.
“I proposed two European leagues. One for 25 minor federations that cannot afford the investments of the major countries. And one with the top six teams from the five big leagues, which would then change every year, with one-off matches, excluding confrontations between teams from the same country.
“The whole world would watch them, how much would they bring in terms of rights? And how much would they enhance our coaches and players? When I read the call-ups of the national teams, I feel bad because the coaches always call the oldest, being afraid of making mistakes.
“But I say: the national teams are a world theatre, let me see the youngsters, bring out the best. Also for their families who have made a thousand sacrifices and deserve to see their dreams realised.”
He reflected on his time in charge of Napoli.
“I think I have received more than given, for me giving is normal, I never ask for anything in return. Things happened with Ancelotti and Gattuso that didn’t convince me, so I finally got rid of all those players that I found a bit unmotivated and couldn’t take me where I wanted to go. I needed new air.
“And we had already spotted Kvaratskhelia in Georgia for three years, but it was the COVID period, we had lost €258m, they were asking a lot of money from us. Then he changed agents and Giuntoli was very good at bringing him home for €11m.
“Osimhen had a chance to recover physically, many times we had him at half service. Not only the jewels, but also all the others. Captain Di Lorenzo is an extraordinary man, very polite, who can always be counted on.
“I’m sure I can keep them all and I would like to add others. I would like to have an American, because in America even if the league is worth little there are great players who shine in the national team.
“And then a Japanese, as we already have a Korean, because there is a big development of our football in the East and there are new entries to consider. But I wouldn’t want to send any of our people away.”
Finally, De Laurentiis gave his thoughts on coach Spalletti.
“I’ve followed him since he was in Russia, many times I called him to bring him to Napoli. One fine day I went to see him in Milan at the vertical forest, he came very timidly into the garage so as not to be seen, with a hood over his head, and dragged me into his flat.
“I told him: ‘I don’t know if I’m going to go ahead with Gattuso, you be ready’. He replied: ‘President, I’ll come in June, but I don’t feel like it now’. I insisted: ‘No, if I have problems and decide to dismiss Gattuso right away, you must promise me that you’ll make yourself available’.
“He gave me his word, then there was no need for a running change, we waited until the end of the season. Spalletti is a leader, a great storyteller: everyone should study him, there is always something to learn from him.”