Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has cast serious doubts about his future at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium after giving a rather cryptic press conference following his side’s 3-1 win over Inter on Sunday.
The 64-year-old led Gli Azzurri to their first Serie A title win in 33 years this season after claiming the Scudetto with five games to spare.
His side have been both dazzling and mesmeric in attack, led by the cut-throat venom of Victor Osimhen’s scoring prowess, and the twinkle-toed movement of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; while also being stubborn and strong at the back, a notion reinforced by Kim Min-jae’s hard-hitting defensive exploits.
Plumes of light-blue smoke engulfed Naples earlier this month after Spalletti’s men secured a 1-1 draw with Udinese and confirmed the title. But just a few weeks later, the Italian’s marriage with the club appears to be on tenterhooks.
A recent 3-1 win over Champions League finalists Inter on Sunday further underlined Napoli’s brilliance under Spalletti and continued the carnival atmosphere in Campania — but that feeling has dissipated slightly following their cherished tactician’s post-match comments.
He told reporters after the match: “The matter has been decided, you don’t change your mind every day. It is a situation that has been brewing for a long time.
“When you work from morning to night, some matters tend to mature in your mind, because you have to put this spectacle on all the time.
“If you are not convinced that you can give everything these people deserve, it’s right to think it over.
“You think it over, you arrive at a conclusion and then you stick with it.
“This is not something that just fell from the sky out of nowhere.”
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis appeared agitated when giving a press conference on plans about the club’s pre-season training camp in Dimaro-Folgarida last week, suggesting any questions on footballing matters would result in him abandoning the media gathering.
“We’ll talk about football later,” De Laurentiis told the assembled press.
“Today we talk about Trentino and nothing else. Otherwise, I’ll get up and leave.”
Suggestions of a fallout between the pair has been circulating in Italian media recently, though there have been no confirmed reports of a bust-up.
Napoli travel to Bologna next in Serie A, before concluding their season at home to Sampdoria on June 4.