De Laurentiis: "Cycles end, but Napoli will remain competitive."

Aurelio De Laurentiis breaks his silence and prepares the way for the post-Conte era. Following the match between SSC Napoli and Udinese Calcio, the final matchday of the season, the Napoli president bluntly addressed the club's future, discussing the end of cycles, economic sustainability, and infrastructure projects.

"A month ago, Conte asked me to meet and told me that cycles end," De Laurentiis explained, implying that his separation from the coach was imminent. The owner, however, reiterated the club's financial position: "Napoli ca n't be Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, or one of the big English teams. We have a budget to stick to."

“Serie A has lost its competitiveness”

During the press conference, De Laurentiis expanded the discussion to include the state of Italian football, highlighting the growing gap with the Premier League.

According to the Napoli president, Serie A is now experiencing a clear divide: "In Italy, there's a championship on the left side of the table and a relegation championship on the right." A system that, he says, penalizes the overall competitiveness of the tournament.

“In England, everyone invests, even the smaller clubs, and this raises the level of the league,” he added, also underlining the difficulties related to federal governance and relationships with agents.

The future: "A new coach will be available soon."

De Laurentiis confirmed that the club will soon move to find a new manager: "We'll be working on a new coach in a few days." He didn't reveal a name, but he reassured fans: "The team will remain competitive."
The president also hinted that part of the current squad could benefit from a different playing system than the one adopted by Conte: "We have many returning players who probably had limitations with Conte's style of play, but with other coaches they could do very well."

The background to the American fund

In his speech, the Azzurri patron also addressed the topic of the club's possible sale, revealing behind-the-scenes information on offers he's received in recent years.

"The Americans arrived in 2017, and I said no. In 2021, they offered me €3,5 billion to take over Napoli and Filmauro," De Laurentiis said, explaining, however, that he didn't consider money to be the decisive factor.
“The challenge is understanding whether a successor can manage this enterprise with heart and love,” he stressed, reiterating his strong personal bond with the club and the city.

The attack on the stadium and the mayor

Finally, the passage dedicated to the stadium issue and relations with the mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, was very harsh.
"Even today, I only have access to the stadium the day before, the day of the match, and the day after. It's ridiculous," De Laurentiis lamented, lamenting the bureaucratic obstacles he's encountered over the years.

The president then relaunched the project for a new stadium: "I've found a 38-hectare plot of land, where the Q8 is located. If the mayor doesn't get in the way, I'll build a 70-seat stadium in two years."