Napoli are a powder keg after a string of defeats, with reports of Allan and Dries Mertens arguing, President Aurelio De Laurentiis furious with Gennaro Gattuso.
Since Carlo Ancelotti was sacked on December 10, the Partenopei have lost four of Gattuso’s five Serie A games in charge, including the last three in a row.
The 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina proved a breaking point, as the Corriere dello Sport claims Allan and Mertens had a heated argument in the dressing room.
Napoli are a powder keg after a string of defeats, with reports of Allan and Dries Mertens arguing, President Aurelio De Laurentiis furious with Gennaro Gattuso.
Since Carlo Ancelotti was sacked on December 10, the Partenopei have lost four of Gattuso’s five Serie A games in charge, including the last three in a row.
The 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina proved a breaking point, as the Corriere dello Sport claims Allan and Mertens had a heated argument in the dressing room.
Mertens has not played for several weeks and spent much of this month in Belgium, receiving treatment for an on-going injury.
There is also confusion, as Gattuso announced on Saturday night after the Fiorentina loss that the squad had decided to go into a training retreat.
However, that was already cut short the next afternoon, so didn’t even last 24 hours.
It had been assumed they would at least remain together in the build-up to Tuesday’s Coppa Italia quarter-final against Lazio.
This seemingly infuriated President De Laurentiis, who then threatened to lock the team into a retreat all week so they can prepare for Sunday’s Serie A showdown with Juventus.
Napoli have been in chaos ever since the incident of November 5, when De Laurentiis ordered a training retreat and the players rebelled.
Ancelotti’s refusal to stand up to the squad and defend the President’s orders proved the beginning of the end for his Napoli career.
It also sparked dramatic developments, as the club imposed heavy fines for their rebellion, with the players taking legal advice to fight the costly punishment and the Players’ Association getting involved too.