Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s agent reiterated there is no chance of him staying at Napoli, even with the arrival of Antonio Conte, and reveals the club ‘asked Mario Rui to leave.’
The Partenopei are set for a complete revamp this summer with Conte taking over and new director of sport Giovanni Manna.
Many players are expected to move on, but the one causing the most controversy is Di Lorenzo, as the captain has made it very clear he has no intention of staying at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Agent Mario Giuffredi, who also represents Napoli teammate Mario Rui, spoke to reporters again today at the AEG Tournament and confirmed the situation has not changed.
“This is what the player believes and we are not moving one inch from what I said before,” noted Giuffredi.
Is the arrival of Conte as coach not enough to change Di Lorenzo’s mind?
“It has nothing to do with tactics or the coach. These are decisions made independently from football, because there are many dynamics and situations that lead him towards reflecting in a certain way.
“I am glad that Conte is coming to Napoli, every player would be honoured to work with him, but the coach is irrelevant to Giovanni’s decision.
“I think Giovanni’s era here at Napoli has concluded and he thinks the same. Our rapport with the club remains good, but my work is to do what makes the players happy.”
Giuffredi hinted that the substitution made by coach Francesco Calzona during the closing game of the season against Lecce was the final straw.
“Di Lorenzo was never substituted before Lecce, then he is called in three minutes from the end the day after the Corriere dello Sport wrote that he wanted to leave. How come, I ask you?
“Was this a substitution dictated by Calzona or by someone else? The answer can only be one, not two. I think the coach played along with someone else’s game. There can be no other explanation. Whose game it was, you can think of that for yourself.”
Di Lorenzo and Mario Rui to leave Napoli
Di Lorenzo is under contract until June 2028, but this only allowed Giuffredi to make another revelation about the transformation going on at Napoli.
“Contracts only mean so much, because otherwise I would say Mario Rui has another two years on his contract and Napoli told me to take him elsewhere. So I would say no, he is staying another two years. Contracts are valid, but there are dynamics that can change things.
“I learned in football, you should never keep players against their will. And what we’ve seen in the last year is evidence of that.”