Serie A, Napoli-Spalletti: Renewal in the balance sheet. Idea Benitez

Imagine an evening dining at “Cicciotto a Mare Chiaro” where the sea glitters. Luciano Spalletti did not choose a place in the noisy nightlife of Chiaia this time, but a quiet place where you can listen to the sound of the waves and have a peaceful chat with some friends.

He enjoys seeing a happy city, having brought infinite joy to a grateful people, but at the same time he knows that the relationship with Aurelio De Laurentiis is in a moment of deep freeze and at the moment there are no conditions under which he can continue working could harmony. Naples fascinated him, it absorbed him into his soul, but everyday life takes place within the walls of Castel Volturno and to work well money is not a problem, but incentives and projects.

The meeting in Naples

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The coach and the president also met yesterday, as De Laurentiis also followed part of the training session and greeted all the players. A polite handshake between the protagonists and nothing more. After dinner last Friday, all discussions ceased. The conditions for a resumption do not appear to be in place at the moment. This request for reconfirmation of the contract, sent as if to an employee, was not “accepted” by Spalletti, who wanted to be at the center of a project in terms of roles. And the great frost has come. Any discussion of extensions has been blocked. But it’s true that De Laurentiis has shown – starting with the question with the Ultras – that when he wants to solve something, he always finds a surprising solution.

unmentionable

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Yesterday the President, together with all those responsible for Trentino, presented the next retreat in Dimaro-Folgarida. Spalletti usually attends this conference, but this time Meret was chosen. And the President first addressed the journalists with a premise that sounded like a threat: “We’ll talk about football later.” Today we’re talking about Trentino and nothing else. We have an important game against Inter on Sunday and that’s what we’re concentrating on. Otherwise I’ll get up and leave. Several attempts have been made to ask about Spalletti’s future, but De Laurentiis has never named him, save for a recent passage linking him to the team and the party on June 4. In fact, as a thank you, he repeats his compliments to the players without referring to the coach. And when he talks about the future of the Italian champions, he emphasizes: “The cat foresighted fathered blind children. We made changes every year. A year ago, when I sent a few genes away (text, editing) and said I wanted to win the Scudetto, they thought I was crazy… Instead, I kept my promise. It is clear and necessary that more can always be done. I’ve always enjoyed the competition. On the first day as we head into the new sporting year, which hopefully will be very blue, we will be talking about the transfer market. Our scouts were there to observe many players. Napoli is now a brand that can be represented in a poster with blue and the sun. The same elements are present in my family crest.” To reiterate, trust me, no one is indispensable and everyone is replaceable. Coaches, managers and of course players. The only mention is of last Friday’s dinner with the unmentionable spalletti: “It was due, it was the dinner of friendship and thanksgiving.”

The look beyond

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Then avoid any other possible media trap. The current situation is ominously similar to five years ago, when Maurizio Sarri was “armored” against his will and Chelsea paid Jorginho to persuade De Laurentiis. So what does the president do: does he want to convince and re-motivate Spalletti, or is he already looking elsewhere? Certainly he hasn’t made a definitive move yet, but Rafa Benitez has been in contact for some time and the Spanish coach knows the environment and ambitions well and values ​​Spalletti and his work very much. Considering it’s someone who’s already won the Champions League, it’s in line with the ambitions of a president who needs to impress with the pitch to change coaches for the Scudetto.

party and retreat

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To find out who will lead Napoli with the Scudetto on their chest, the president himself confirmed that the game against Sampdoria will be played at 7pm on Sunday. “And then a great party begins that lasts until nightfall. I have prepared a 500 square meter stage for the awards ceremony and will set up lots of giant screens so that everyone can see clearly. I asked Fiorello to set up his entire structure at the Maradona to start there in the early hours of Monday morning. We’ll see if he accepts.” In the meantime, the retreat in Dimaro will take place from July 14th to 25th with many innovations.