De Laurentiis: 'Napoli cannot talk about Allegri, must improve in Europe'
Quick summary
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis addressed speculation linking Massimiliano Allegri to the club, stating the club 'cannot talk about Allegri' and must focus on improving its European performance.
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Attributed to original sourceNapoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis won’t be drawn on when he can finally announce Max Allegri as the new coach. ‘We have to stay up there and try to improve in Europe.’
The patron just flew back from Los Angeles, where he spends much of his time thanks to his day job as a Hollywood movie producer, and immediately spoke to reporters.
It was on the superyacht Boardwalk, where they were the guests of American ambassador to Italy Tilman J. Fertitta.
De Laurentiis on Napoli ambition Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis arrives for the screening of the film “Freaks Out” presented in competition on September 8, 2021 during the 78th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images) The first question was about their ambitions for this season, having won the Scudetto in 2025 and then finished runners-up to Inter.
“I have been here for 22 years, we are the only club who kept climbing and climbing. We have to stay up there and must try to improve in Europe,” De Laurentiis told reporters.
De Laurentiis: «Allegri? Non se ne può parlare ancora, ma vogliamo restare in alto»
«Quando annunciamo il prossimo allenatore? Io sono appena atterrato dal Los Angeles, aspettate» #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/QgCNPCnkGb
— Carlo Alvino (@Carloalvino) June 24, 2026
Antonio Conte walked away by mutual consent at the end of the campaign, and it is commonly known that Allegri has been chosen to replace him.
However, nothing can be done until Allegri has formally terminated his contract with Milan, who fired the coach the day after missing out on Champions League qualification.
“We cannot and must not talk about Allegri until we really have him,” noted De Laurentiis.
“Decisions are made seeking consistency. Seeing as we finally have a Federation President who shares my ideas, which football is an industry, albeit an atypical one, I am convinced all of Italian football must work hard and rebuild with Malagò.
“The difference is that Americans are always going forward, whereas in Italy we remain stagnant. It’s because the men in power do not move.”
Appena sbarcati da Los Angeles, il Presidente Aurelio De Laurentiis e la sig.ra Jacqueline si sono recati a Napoli e sono saliti a bordo del superyacht Boardwalk, ospite dell'ambasciatore americano Tilman J. Fertitta e della sua consorte. pic.twitter.com/MBxHWd0Isf
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) June 24, 2026
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What happened
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis publicly addressed ongoing speculation surrounding Massimiliano Allegri and a potential managerial change at the Serie A club. He dismissed the rumors, stating that Napoli 'cannot talk about Allegri,' emphasizing that the club's focus should be on improving its European results, likely referring to recent Champions League campaigns. The statement appears to be an attempt to stabilize the current coaching situation while maintaining pressure on the team to perform better in continental competition. The comments come amid an underwhelming European season for Napoli and persistent links between Allegri and the club.
Chance analysis
De Laurentiis's remarks serve a dual purpose: shutting down the Allegri rumor mill to protect the current manager's position, while also publicly raising the bar for European performance. For Napoli, this signals a need to prioritize Champions League results, which could influence tactical approaches and squad rotation in upcoming European fixtures. The denial of Allegri links reduces immediate managerial uncertainty, which is mildly positive for squad stability, but the demand for European improvement raises the stakes for upcoming continental matches.
Reduces short-term managerial uncertainty at Napoli while increasing pressure to deliver improved Champions League results.
Napoli is likely to approach upcoming European fixtures with heightened urgency and may rotate less, but expect no imminent managerial change.