REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - FEBRUARY 28: Giovanni Di Lorenzo of SSC Napoli looks on during the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and SSC Napoli - Serie A TIM at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on February 28, 2024 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - FEBRUARY 28: Giovanni Di Lorenzo of SSC Napoli looks on during the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and SSC Napoli - Serie A TIM at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on February 28, 2024 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was furious at suggestions he feigned illness to avoid playing against Fiorentina, as it’s reported he nearly fainted in the hotel.

The right-back was not even on the bench for last night’s 2-2 draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, officially due to a bout of gastroenteritis.

When the report about the match appeared in the Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper, it included an allegation that infuriated Napoli.

“Di Lorenzo was a last-minute absentee over an attack of gastroenteritis. Who knows if it was true, who knows if the captain’s nerves just buckled under the pressure of these infernal weeks, hoping it is not the prelude to the announcement of a transfer.”

Di Lorenzo posted the image of the article on Instagram Stories with his own response.

“SHAMEFUL. You are squalid.”

Di Lorenzo ‘felt faint’

His agent Mario Giuffredi told TV Play just how shameful the allegation was in the circumstances around his absence.

“After lunch yesterday, Di Lorenzo started to have serious gastrointestinal problems. The lad was in no condition to play. He wanted to at least be in the stands to cheer on his teammates, but he couldn’t even manage that and had to stay in the hotel.

“Then situation then got even worse. After returning to the hotel following the match, they found Di Lorenzo almost unconscious in his hotel room, he felt faint.

“Just think, they were forced to get the emergency key to enter Giovanni’s room. So anyone throwing fuel on the fire during such a delicate time for Napoli ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

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