Behrami blames De Laurentiis 'ego' for Napoli woes

Napoli News Newsnow Serie A

BySusy Campanale

Feb 15, 2024 21:27

Real Madrid CF v SSC Napoli: Group C - UEFA Champions League 2023/24

Former Napoli midfielder Valon Behrami puts the blame for the post-Scudetto collapse of the squad squarely on the ‘ego’ of President Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The Partenopei won their first Serie A title in over 30 years, but Luciano Spalletti walked away and Kim Min-jae was sold to Bayern Munich.

Despite the team largely remaining the same, they have struggled badly, both under Rudi Garcia and now with Walter Mazzarri at the helm.

“Week after week, the Champions League race is getting increasingly complicated,” Behrami told Rai Radio 1 Sport via Tuttomercatoweb.

“There has been confusion and chaos since the start of the season. In January, the transfer strategy did not seem to depend on the type of system that they want to choose. Every week we see a different tactical system and that does not help.”

There is also tension behind the scenes with Piotr Zielinski refusing to sign a new contract and heading towards Inter as a free agent, while Victor Osimhen was at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria since late December.

“Along with those situations, the post-Scudetto period has been dealt with in a very chaotic and confused fashion. A great deal of ego from the President emerged, he wanted to show again and again that he was decisive in winning the title. He had no need to, because of course we all know the person who puts up the money deserves credit.

“When you are in this situation of limbo and confusion, you can struggle to find an identity, which is what happened with Garcia and is now happening for Mazzarri too.”

Behrami was part of the Napoli squad under Mazzarri during his first tenure at the club, as the coach returned following a decade away to replace sacked Garcia in October 2023.