Napoli’s Champions League evening against Bodo/Glimt arrived with the club seeking a response after consecutive defeats, but sporting director Giovanni Manna insisted that the wider picture remains one of work rather than panic.
Pressure after two defeats, but no change on the bench
Speaking before the European fixture, Manna addressed the regular contact between the club’s management and president Aurelio De Laurentiis. He accepted that two losses in succession naturally bring questions from the top of the club, while stressing that Napoli must answer them on the pitch.
- Manna said discussions with De Laurentiis are ongoing.
- He noted that a president will understandably seek reassurance when the team loses twice in a row.
- His message to the squad was to keep working quietly and recover three points.
- He added that Napoli should not allow thoughts of the league campaign to distract them at this moment.
The sporting director also gave an unequivocal defence of coach Allegri, saying the manager is not under consideration for dismissal. Napoli, he said, were aware that the squad required improvement and must now raise its concentration levels while finding greater continuity in results.
An ageing squad remains a boardroom concern
Napoli currently have the oldest average squad in Serie A, with an average age of 29 years and 221 days. Manna did not deny the need for renewal, but argued that age profiles can be misleading when viewed without context.
He pointed out that other clubs are close to Napoli’s average, and that the arrival of a single player born in 2005 or 2006 can significantly alter such a calculation. The issue, in his view, cannot become a criticism of established figures who continue to carry responsibility within the side.
- Giovanni Di Lorenzo was named among the senior players beyond reproach.
- Amir Rrahmani, Stanislav Lobotka and Matteo Politano were also cited as players who should not be blamed.
- Manna accepted that the group needs to become younger over time.
- He said Napoli had begun that process last season but had not managed to continue it this year.
Napoli asked to endure and rebuild
The club’s immediate task is to steady its results, while the longer-term requirement remains a gradual refresh of the playing group. Manna’s assessment was not of a team requiring a public reckoning, but one that must withstand a difficult spell and restore consistency.
“We have to grit our teeth and work,” he said, setting the tone for a Napoli side whose season now demands both an immediate reaction and a more considered rebuilding effort in the months ahead.
