Allegri loses patience, De Bruyne doesn't respond: Napoli raises alarm after defeat to Virreal

The European defeat against Villarreal reignites tensions within Napoli. After the defeat in Spain, Massimiliano Allegri is called upon to reunite the team and regain consistency, while the spotlight also falls on his relationship with Kevin De Bruyne, one of the players expected to respond in the most difficult moments.

During the match, according to the reported reconstruction, the coach repeatedly called out to the Belgian midfielder, loudly repeating "Kevin, Kevin." The tactical instruction was to drop back to participate more in the build-up play and allow Scott McTominay to advance closer to the goal.

De Bruyne, however, reportedly maintained a more advanced position, expressing his displeasure without heeding the instructions from the bench. This incident highlighted a divergence in the instructions to follow on the pitch, especially on a night when the Azzurri needed greater balance and compactness.

After the match, Allegri dismissed the issue with a brief but telling statement: "We didn't understand each other." This explanation leaves open questions about the balance between the coach's requests and the player's decisions during the match.

According to reports, the coach's discontent isn't limited to De Bruyne alone. The other more experienced players are also expected to shoulder greater responsibility, after a performance that highlighted the difficulties already evident in the draw against Fiorentina. The win against Frosinone seemed to have restored confidence, but the European performance has once again called the team's confidence into question.

After returning to Italy, the group moved from the airport to the Castel Volturno training center, where Allegri was able to resume his analysis of the match and the errors that compromised the performance.

Now attention turns to the next match against Venezia, a delicate match for the Azzurri. The coach has already issued a warning ahead of the match: "If we don't change our attitude, we'll leave Venice with broken bones."

These words speak to the need for an immediate turnaround, not only in terms of results but also in the team's attitude. Between the league and the upcoming European fixture against Bodø/Glimt, Napoli must rediscover balance, consistency, and a shared vision between the bench and the players.