Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has remarkably stated that he will not sign African players for the club unless they agree to not play in the African Cup of Nations.
The 73-year-old says he ‘loves’ Napoli’s African players, but he rues having to pay them so much for the amount of time they are away.
“I told them lads, don’t talk to me about Africans anymore!” said De Laurentiis during a streamed event.
“I love them, but either they sign something confirming they’ll back out of playing the Africa Cup of Nations, or otherwise between that tournament, the World Cup qualifiers in South America, these players are never available!
“We are the idiots who pay salaries only to send them all over the world playing for others.”
Last season Napoli lost Kalidou Koulibaly to the AFCON and the centre-back went all the way with Senegal and won the tournament. The 31-year-old has now signed for Chelsea.
Former Fulham man Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa represented Cameroon at the tournament while he was on loan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Ironically, Napoli made his loan a permanent signing back in May, clearly before De Laurentiis formed his stance.
The Serie A side’s star striker is Victor Osimhen, but he did not play for Nigeria at the AFCON earlier this year.
Napoli announced a bout of COVID would keep the prolific forward from representing the Super Eagles, but his withdrawal from selection and the timing of it raised a few eyebrows in Nigeria.
Osimhen scored 18 times in 32 games last season. He played twice more than Zambo Anguissa, but twice less than Koulibaly.
The top appearance maker for Napoli, who finished third in Serie A last season, was midfielder Elif Elmas with 46.
The AFCON only takes place every two years and runs for around a month in January. The 2021 tournament was played this year because COVID prevented it from happening the year prior, so there will be back-to-back tournaments with the 2023 edition coming next January.
neymarjosephtse
458
Who first dreams of playing for Napoli ??
Fiedirsu
104
which club is Napoli? i know Juventus, Ac milan and inter Milan but Napoli? i don't know them.
BwoyGeeStar
73
I rather miss world cup than ACON
Rabcdekmsz
64
but it's OK for European players to piss of to the euros once every 4 years, and also piss of to nations league every year where they could get injured and cost money every week eh. and south Americans to commenbol every 2nd year. or do you just hate BLACKS u racist old man
KhalidOsha
58
Djibril117
49
This fool call president is trying to explain nonsense to people
JustineEtuk
23
Who first dreams of playing for Napoli ??
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I’m african, but i just have to agree with him. I’ve always questioned the timing of Afcon...it’s not a proper arrangement to host a competition as big as Afcon mid season. It’s a big big distraction to club football. You may try to bring up a case of Euros and copa America into this and brand his statement racist but it’s clearly not the case... Euros and copa America is played off season. And if Afcon is played off season, no club management will have a problem with it. Organisers of Afcon should come up with a plan to play this competition after the conclusion of a club season. And we should ditch this racist card we play because it’s not the case here.
KES09
22
Italy has alot of racism
ManUtdAmadDialo
19
If you think the African players will snub the AFCON tournament then u are totally mad
Feilds
9
Hosting Afcon at the completion of a club season is the way forward... It’s a big distraction to club football hosting it mid season for both the club and players involved. We shouldn’t be narrow minded about this.
Europe, Africa, Asia and America do not all have same climatic seasons. You don't expect Africa to host it's own Major foot tournament at the end of European Club football when there's heavy tropical/equatorial rains in many African countries at this time. Why must Africans always play by the rules of or dance to the tunes of Europeans? Please give us a break!!!