Reds made Napoli owner eat his words before last Anfield visit

It's fair to say Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis is never usually short of a quote or two.

The owner of the Partenopei - who are due at Anfield this week for a crucial Champions League group fixture - made his fortune as a film director and has cut down some of the great and good of the football with his acerbic comments over the years.

He famously once referred to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi as a 'cretin' for travelling to play for his country in the Copa America, threatened to 'cut the b***s off' Ezequiel Lavezzi's agent when he hinted the striker might leave the Stadio San Paolo and, when once asked about the threat of Premier League clubs poaching his star players, said "the English live badly, eat badly and their women do not wash their genitalia. To them, a bidet is a mystery."

He also had plenty to say for himself before Napoli's Champions League visit to Anfield last season.

The fixture was slightly later in the group stages - matchday six rather than matchday five - but, similarly, Liverpool had already travelled to Naples earlier on and been beaten.

Ahead of Napoli's matchday 3 clash with PSG, with Liverpool preparing to take on Red Star Belgrade in their double-header, De Laurentiis sat down for an interview with Le Parisien and reportedly took aim at Liverpool when discussing the cities involved in last season's Group C.

With the Reds' star under Jurgen Klopp continuing to rise and a host of top players being linked with a move to Anfield, De Laurentiis saw he saw no reason why players would want to move to Merseyside and join Liverpool.

There had been no indication the Reds were eying any of his charges but De Laurentiis said: “You'd have to be crazy not to be happy in Naples.

"At home, I have the best view of Rome, but I'd always swap it for that of Naples, just like my house in Los Angeles. These kids (the players) have to wake up, train and they're done for the day. We pay them to have fun.

“They also have the freedom of living in an idyllic situation.

"Can you imagine waking up every day in Liverpool? You only have the house of the Beatles, Abbey Road… In Paris, there's loads of things to see, but the climate isn't great like in Naples."

De Laurentiis is unlikely to be as mouthy this time around however because, as he and his side prepare to travel to Merseyside, he has enough on his plate keeping his own house in order.

Just 48 hours before the Champions League clash at Anfield, reports emerged that he has been forced to issue fines totalling over €2.5million (£2.14million) to his first team squad following an internal mutiny.

Matchday three of this season's campaign saw the Reds assume top spot in Group E thanks to their 2-1 home win over Genk, with Napoli dropping to second after a 1-1 draw at home to Salzburg.

Despite Liverpool and Napoli looking well-placed to reach the knockout phase with nine and eight points apiece so far, the two dropped points at home to the Austrians caused chairman De Laurentiis to order his side to go on a week-long training camp.

However, head coach Carlo Ancelotti was against the idea and the players subsequently refused, prompting the 70-year-old owner to threaten to sell the entire squad.

Sources have told ESPN FC that De Laurentiis began legal proceedings on Monday to fine every member of the first team squad, apart from Kevin Malcuit who has been recovering from a serious knee injury, 25% of their monthly salary – the maximum penalty allowed.

The club have imposed a media blackout on the squad and North Macedonia midfielder Elijf Elmas was reprimanded by the club for breaking ranks and talking to his local media during the international break.

Under UEFA rules, Ancelotti is obliged to give a news conference in Liverpool the day before Wednesday's Champions League match but the report says on Monday there was no indication that the club were prepared to lift the embargo.

And to make matters worse, key striker Lorenzo Insigne has been ruled out of Wednesday's game with an elbow injury.

The Italian forward has scored five times in his 17 appearances for Napoli this season and netted the winner against the Reds in the Stadio San Paolo last season.