Napoli fans are sad to see Lorenzo Insigne head towards Toronto FC, but ultimately blame President Aurelio De Laurentiis for losing yet another local hero.
There are strong reports today that Insigne has agreed personal terms with MLS club Toronto FC and will join them as a free agent in July, once his contract with the Partenopei has expired.
It means Napoli losing one of their most valuable players, not to mention their captain, for free because he was offered the opportunity to remain only with a substantial pay cut.
Considering his impressive UEFA EURO 2020 performances over the summer, many in Naples see this as yet another example of De Laurentiis imposing his control over the club.
It is hardly the first time, because Napoli supporters have seen many of their previous heroes storm out and make little secret of the fact they’d remain if not for ADL.
De Laurentiis is one of the only remaining figures of a style of Italian football President they called ‘Padre-Padrone’, like an over-bearing father who wants to control every area of his children’s lives.
Insigne will be the last of the players heavily involved in the ‘mutiny’ under Carlo Ancelotti to be effectively thrown out of the club.
Many of them were as free agents, from Allan to Elseid Hysaj and Jose Callejon, who had refused to go back into a training retreat.
These are more extreme versions, but by no means alone, because De Laurentiis also clashed with Gonzalo Higuain and Edinson Cavani, kept Marek Hamsik hanging for months and is now doing the same to all-time top scorer Dries Mertens.
Repubblica newspaper today report ADL demanded a stop to negotiations for a new contract with Fabian Ruiz, because failure to qualify for the Champions League has seen him slash costs both on the transfer market and above all in salaries.
Napoli had a very strong start to the season, but effectively shoving Insigne and Mertens out of the door to bring in cheaper alternatives is no way of maintaining a title push.