De Laurentiis opens to Spalletti's farewell: «I'll leave him free»- Corriere.it

De Laurentiis opens to Spalletti's farewell: «I'll leave him free»- Corriere.it


Of Monica Scozzafava

The president of Napoli and the coach are very close to divorce after the feat-scudetto: «Lucio is a champion, but he will have to find the field where he can express himself at his best. Naples? I hope so"

It thundered so much that it rained, and the words of Aurelio De Laurentiis on Luciano Spalletti on Sky, apparently sibylline, say a lot, probably everything, about a report that has come to an end. There is a phrase said in Neapolitan ("Who has had has had and who has given has given") which more than all closes the question, refers to early greetings, with respect to the contractual expiry, after the season of big business.

Napoli has been waiting for the scudetto for 33 years, the farewell could have been consumed in three minutes in front of the television cameras after a beating and repeating, between president and coach, which began a few weeks before the victory of the title and ended with a dinner that could have sealed a new understanding. Obviously it wasn't and Spalletti asked him to clarify the terms of the relationship. De Laurentiis did not keep himself waiting. Less than a month after exercising the unilateral option to renew his contract for another year, he has (almost) given up on the idea that his move had been risky.

«Freedom is an immeasurable good - he said - it must be respected. I would never limit his love because I don't want him to do it with me. Never clip anyone's wings." Over here? Unofficially, De Laurentiis is able to leave a window open: «he is a champion and he has to find a field where you can best express yourself. I hope he finds the motivations that led him to do extraordinary things». Where and with who? «Well, I hope it's with Napoli, but the important thing is gratitude». He probably lies knowing that he is lying but it is the game of the parts and it must be taken into account. He has already reopened the agenda, he has begun to sound out possible replacements. Nothing new, Aurelio does not improvise on important choices. And like when he hired Spalletti whom he had been courting for some time, so he has rethought of technicians whom he estimates as Gasperini, Italian and especially Antonio Conte with whom he has a rather dated friendship. Soon to make predictions on who will be the next coach of the Napoli champion of Italy, after all we always have to wait for the final decision which is up to Spalletti, who is still under contract for a year.

Today the coach will hold the usual press conference before the match against Inter: this time there is much more besides the pitch. More than the misunderstandings that arose during the season, more than the bad moods caused by a Pec with which De Laurentiis communicated the renewal of the contract, beyond the legitimate resentment for not having received a congratulatory phone call after the victory on the Udine field.

At stake is the future of a team that hasn't even sewn the Scudetto to its chest and risks losing the director of the first work. "I will never do the Neapolitans an injustice" Lucio repeated several times while he was contemplating leaving the bench happier than his career. De Laurentiis understood that forcing his hand would have been counterproductive. «In life you have to know how to be grateful – added Aurelio – with the coaches who have taken turns on the Napoli bench I have always had a good time. From Reja to Mazzarri to Ancelotti to Benitez, people with whom I keep a bond».

There had been bad moods with them too, but time fixes things in the name of gratitude. The end credits are about to roll and the president closes it with music: «Whoever gave gave, whoever had had. Scurdammoce o past, simmo 'e Napule paisá». Difficult.

May 20, 2023 (change May 20, 2023 | 07:20)



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