Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has released a statement via the club’s official website commenting on the situation surrounding former coach Luciano Spalletti and his links to the vacant position as CT of the Italy national team.
Spalletti left his position as Napoli coach at the end of the title winning campaign in 2022-23, claiming that he was exhausted and in need of a sabbatical.
At the time of his departure, a clause was agreed upon which means that a penalty must be paid to Napoli if he joins another team before the end of his previous contract with the Partenopei, which would have expired in the summer of 2024.
That fee is believed to stand at €3m, although the FIGC appear to be unwilling to pay a fee to a club side in order to appoint a new coach of the national team, something which has never been done before.
In response to the news over the last few days, ADL released the following statement: “I’ve always had great respect for the national team and, when I was young, aside from Napoli, it was the only team I was passionate about.
“Luciano Spalletti, despite having the last year of his contract with Napoli, expressed a desire to take a break from coaching after winning the Scudetto because he was “very tired.” Out of gratitude for the work he had done, I didn’t stand in his way, even though I could have asked him to respect the contract. I therefore gave him the opportunity to take this long period of rest.
“Consequently, I went in search of a coach who could replace Spalletti, a person of great experience and prestige. I am very happy to have landed on Rudi Garcia, who will certainly do a great job.
“Back to Spalletti, when granting him the opportunity to not see out his contract, I asked for guarantees on compliance with his sabbatical period, including a penalty in the event that his commitment fails.
“As far as the Federation is concerned, what is most surprising to me is that this situation has unfolded just a few weeks away from two very important matches for the national team following the resignation of coach Roberto Mancini.
“In this regard, there are two main things to consider: Either they do not know how to maintain relations with their employees, leading them to resign, or, there are a lack of legal ways of keeping hold of them until the end of their agreed contracts.
“And, if the choice (rightly) lands on Spalletti, a great coach with 25 years of experience at the highest level, and they offer a €3m salary for three years, there is no reason to believe why €1m per year gross can not be paid to free him from his contractual obligation. All of this is inconsistent.
“For Napoli, €3m is clearly not a lot, and for Aurelio De Laurentiis it is even less. But, it is not a question of money, it is a question of principle, which doesn’t just concern Napoli, but the entire Italian football system, which must shed its amateurish attitude by complying with standard rules of business.
“If an ‘exception’ is made, the football system will not be able to evolve and these “Spalletti cases” will continue, as will these figures of “authority”, who do not know how to manage a business.”