The president of Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, does not remain silent and reply without mincing words to Antonio Conte, who on the eve of the match against Monza had hinted at a certain difficulty in playing football in the shadow of Vesuvius.
“I don't deny anything – the technician had said – but I understood that in Naples many things cannot be done". Today De Laurentiis's response arrives live on Radio Crc and touches on all the hot topics: team, communication, identity, infrastructure. And he does it as only he knows how, between pride and vision.
“Evaluations are made at the end. All teams are evolving until the last minute. We have a strong and muscular team: in the next few years we will have a lot of fun”, declared the Azzurri patron, sending a clear message to the coach and to the entire club.
Another film to tell the story of Naples?
As always, De Laurentiis unites football and cinema. And announces the making a film dedicated to Napoli's current season: “The film about the Scudetto was a great success. I said to myself: why not tell the story of each season? From Conte's signature to his retirement, up until today. I would like to release the film in cinemas at the end of June. I am discussing it with the platforms and I have already chosen a protagonist: an extraordinary 16-year-old boy who acted in 'Napoli New York' and who will tell the story of this year through the eyes of a young fan.”
Interviews, behind the scenes, voices of actors, journalists and singers: a choral story that aims to restore the soul of an entire city. The president also focuses on a recurring theme: the perception of the city of Naples in the rest of the country. “When I say that I work for the Neapolitans, I always see a certain envy. It is easy to gossip about them, but it is only because people do not understand that the Neapolitans are the salt of Italy.”
A reference also to his family history: “My father, as soon as he graduated, founded a newspaper in Bulgaria called 'Black and White'. But don't worry, he wasn't a Juventus fan”, he jokes. Among the most sensitive issues, that of the future of Maradona. De Laurentiis explains the technical difficulties related to a possible restructuring: “There are serious structural problems, not only on the third ring. The pitch is off-centre with respect to the stadium basin, the curves are too far away. We asked for a technical report from Councillor Cosenza, who promised me: 'By April 30 I'll tell you what can and cannot be done'.”
And he adds: “Staying where Maradona played would be a joy, but we need to understand if we can really be competitive with the facilities in the North.” Finally, a joke about the rivals in the race for the Scudetto: “Open an egg with the colors of Bologna? But let's open it today at 18 pm!”, laughs ADL. “You want to jinx? I hate jinxes. I can’t jinx others. Let’s think about ourselves.”
Article published on 19 April 2025 - 15:02
President De Laurentiis has said many interesting things about Napoli, but it is difficult to understand how he can make a film about each season. The fans are waiting anxiously and hoping that it will be well done and not disappointing.