Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has spoken out on the eve of his team’s crucial match against Inter Milan, tempering expectations and shifting focus away from title talk. Despite not being able to attend the match at San Siro due to work commitments, De Laurentiis took to social media to address the fans and ease pressure on the team and manager Antonio Conte.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), De Laurentiis emphasized the need for patience in the club’s rebuilding process:
“Dear Napoli fans, I’m leaving for Los Angeles and will return in time for Napoli-Roma. I want to reassure you that the verb ‘rebuild,’ which I used last summer, has a precise meaning: it’s a journey that has just begun, and it will take calm and patience to reach our goal, even though we’ve started very well.”
The Napoli president expressed concern over what he saw as inappropriate reactions from some quarters:
“I’ve seen too many improper reactions, also because we’re not playing Fantasy Football. Rebuilding means laying the foundations for a lasting future in terms of results, as we’ve done for 14 consecutive years. It takes time, patience, work, and above all, the support and embrace of all you fans, because Napoli has become not only an important team but also the flag of a city experiencing an extraordinary phase of Renaissance.”
De Laurentiis was particularly keen to downplay talk of a title challenge, viewing it as potentially harmful to the team’s progress:
“Thinking about the Scudetto today is a deceptive mistake that can become an act of presumption that we must avoid.”
Instead, he outlined a more modest goal for the season:
“The objective for all of us is to return to Europe, aware that we will have to fight against teams of the caliber of Inter, Juve, Milan, Atalanta, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina, and many others. So, let’s enjoy this splendid start to the season and remember that we are a team ‘under construction.’ Then again… never say never… Forza Napoli Always and see you soon!”
