Napoli’s difficult week has brought the familiar pressure around a major club, but the response from inside the club has been one of restraint rather than alarm. Two successive defeats, against Villarreal and Venezia, have placed Massimiliano Allegri under scrutiny, yet sporting director Giovanni Manna has made clear that the coach retains the backing of the hierarchy.
The coach and the club
Speaking before Napoli’s home Champions League meeting with Bodo/Glimt, Manna dismissed any suggestion that Allegri’s position had become uncertain. The club, he said, understands that the squad provided to the Livorno-born coach still has work to do.
“Allegri is not under discussion at all,” Manna said. “We know that the group we have given him needs to improve certain things.”
The message came after defeats in two very different settings: the European loss to Villarreal and the Serie A setback against Venezia. Manna did not treat those results as a reason for a sudden change of direction, instead calling for a more careful reading of each performance and a stronger response on the pitch.
“Every match has to be analysed because each one has its own circumstances,” he said. “We need to raise our level of concentration and get out of this spell through work and by producing consistent results.”
A routine meeting with De Laurentiis
Manna was also asked about his recent dinner with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. He described it as part of the normal dialogue between the club’s senior figures, rather than a crisis discussion prompted solely by the two defeats.
“There is constant discussion between us, whether we win or lose,” Manna explained. “Naturally, after two consecutive losses it is normal for the president to want reassurance. It was an ordinary dinner, like many others that are not made public.”
For Napoli, the immediate priority is Europe. The Bodo/Glimt fixture comes before attention can turn back to the league and the forthcoming match against Roma. Manna urged the group to focus on its work and on collecting points in the Champions League rather than looking too far ahead.
“We have to keep quiet and work,” he said. “We must play an important game and bring home points. Right now we are thinking about the Champions League; there is no point thinking about the championship.”
A squad still to be renewed
Manna also addressed Napoli’s broader planning, defending the contribution of captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and established players including Stanislav Lobotka and Matteo Politano. He said there was little to reproach them for, while accepting that the squad has not yet reached the point of renewal the club wants.
Napoli attempted to lower the average age of the group last season, but Manna said the intended next stage of that process could not be completed this year. The club intends to resume that work, he added, maintaining that Napoli have repeatedly shown they can operate properly and responsibly.
