Mario Giuffredi, the agent of Mario Rui, criticised Napoli coach Rudi Garcia for his usage of the Portuguese full back, calling it ‘disrespectful and disgraceful’.
The 32-year-old who featured prominently under Luciano Spalletti in Napoli’s title winning season last term, has only made two starts under Garcia so far this season, seeing 230 minutes of league action.
Mario Rui was left on the bench for Napoli’s Champions League opener against Braga and was only given a two-minute cameo appearance in the loss to Real Madrid.
Speaking to Radio CRC via TMW, Giuffredi hit out at Garcia and his usage of Mario Rui at Napoli this season.
“I call Garcia’s handling of Mario Rui disrespectful and disgraceful. Disrespectful because we’re talking about a player who in the last two years has been one of the best left-backs in Serie A, fundamental to Spalletti’s game and to be treated like that I think is disrespectful.
“There are two things: Mario Rui is not good for Garcia’s game which may not want to dribble from the back, or I have to think that Garcia having been in Arabia does not know Mario Rui as a player.
“I consider it unfortunate because if Mario Rui gives a great performance against Udinese and you don’t give him consistency, it means you don’t want to get this player back. If that was his thinking in the summer, Garcia could have told us he didn’t want Mario Rui.”
He continued his assault on Garcia, highlighting why his client’s lack of playing time is such a confusing decision.
“You only have to see Kvaratskhelia’s performances when Mario Rui is on the pitch as well. Kvaratskhelia raises the level of the performance if a dribbling player comes up.
“Maybe the coach makes other choices wanting a less dribbling player, but he could have said he wanted another type of full-back. It is disrespectful management because Mario Rui has been one of the best in his role in recent years, I have no words.
“Then there are tactical choices that I don’t want to get into, because you can go and see what the coach has in mind. At one point I found myself confused with Raspadori on the wing and Elmas on the outside, but the coach will have his reasons for making these kinds of choices.”
Last season, Mario Rui over 2100 minutes of action across 28 total appearances across Serie A and the Champions League, providing eight assists in that time.