Francesco Montervino hit back at “half a man” Walter Gargano’s claims of a training ground fight at Napoli.
Gargano told Mexican radio that he got into a brawl with then-captain Montervino and punched current club Vice-President Edoardo De Laurentiis.
“It makes me laugh,” replied Montervino on Radio Marte. “I am accustomed to not touching people who are shorter than 1.60m.
Francesco Montervino hit back at “half a man” Walter Gargano’s claims of a training ground fight at Napoli.
Gargano told Mexican radio that he got into a brawl with then-captain Montervino and punched current club Vice-President Edoardo De Laurentiis.
“It makes me laugh,” replied Montervino on Radio Marte. “I am accustomed to not touching people who are shorter than 1.60m.
“That incident was the final straw. We made Gargano feel like he was a great player, which he isn’t. The trouble at Napoli is we are capable of making someone feel important even when he isn’t a man. He’s half a man.
“I’ve been interviewed many times and never revealed secrets from the locker room. These things are sacred.
“We are talking about ingrates. At that time those in the locker room didn’t talk outside, as there were people like me and others who had character. Few would’ve dared getting into a physical altercation with anyone, let alone with me.
“I never got into a fight with Walter Gargano. What he said about Edo De Laurentiis was also not true. I leave this sort of rubbish to him and those who are like him.
“When I left Napoli the thing that hurt me the most was having to leave behind that jersey after just trying to make sure the rules were respected by people like Gargano and Lavezzi.”
Another former Napoli player at the time, Inacio Pia, also confirmed there was an argument between Gargano and De Laurentiis, “but they never got physical.
“I don’t recall any incident with Montervino, as Francesco was the perfect teammate,” Pia told calcionapoli24.
“As for Lavezzi egging him on, it was just a joke, he didn’t mean it.”