Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has found himself in between a rock and a hard place, with both Luciano Spalletti and Cristiano Giuntoli at risk of leaving the club this summer.
Tuttosport details how things are not all rosy in the Campania capital, despite the fact that Spalletti and his players just secured the club’s first Scudetto in 33 years. In the aftermath of the celebrations, tensions have started to build between the coach, the president and the sporting director.
It’s no secret now that sporting director Giuntoli is keen to leave Napoli this summer, a year before his contract expires, in order to join rivals Juventus. De Laurentiis has been open to this idea and the pair met recently to discuss the technicalities of his departure, such as which Partenopei targets cannot be signed by the Bianconeri and the legal structure of his exit.
De Laurentiis has identified a replacement in Bari’s Ciro Polito, who seems like the natural replacement for Giuntoli considering his close relationship with the Italian film producer. What has caused things to change, however, is Spalletti and his position on a new contract.
Tension began to brew between Spalletti and De Laurentiis after the Napoli president quietly activated a one-year renewal clause in the coach’s contract, extending his stay to June 2024. The 64-year-old had hoped for a sit-down meeting to discuss a new contract, where he expects a raise, and was disappointed to learn about the clause activation through an official letter of notice.
These tensions have built to a point that Spalletti could realistically leave the club at the end of this season, something De Laurentiis is keen to avoid, especially with Giuntoli also looking for the exit. As such, the Napoli president will not let the sporting director leave until he’s agreed to a future project with the coach.