Aurelio De Laurentiis Talks Real Madrid's 'Spoiled Superstars' Before Napoli Tie

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has suggested Real Madrid have a squad containing "spoiled superstars" ahead of the two teams’ meeting in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. 

Speaking with El Pais (h/t Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC), De Laurentiis discussed former Madrid and Napoli boss Rafael Benitez, who was sacked by Los Blancos last season and replaced by current manager Zinedine Zidane. According to the Napoli chief, the players at the Santiago Bernabeu make it difficult for a coach to hold down a job for long.

"I couldn't keep [Benitez] for a third year," De Laurentiis said. "I was happy for him. But anyone who signs for Real Madrid is in danger. There are players, spoiled superstars, who if they go against the coach it affects the team's performance."

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The comments about the Madrid squad will add further fuel to what promises to be a fiery second leg between the two clubs on Tuesday.

Napoli trail 3-1 after the first leg, with goals from Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Casemiro seeing Madrid turn the game around after Lorenzo Insigne’s opener. However, in front of what promises to be a hostile crowd, the talented Serie A side will fancy their chances of unsettling the European champions.

Per the Champions League Twitter feed, Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina is confident the Partenopei can turn the tie around:

De Laurentiis has had plenty to say between the two games and was highly critical of his own team’s approach in the first leg.

Indeed, while Napoli have played some stunning football this term under Maurizio Sarri, the president said to Italian television (h/t Pete Jenson and Sam Morshead of the MailOnline) that the team "lacked personality," and he "did not understand some of the coach's decisions" in the 3-1 loss.

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According to Rik Sharma of the MailOnline, one of the reasons Benitez was sacked at the Santiago Bernabeu after just seven months was due to his poor relationships with key players, including Cristiano Ronaldo. As noted, the coach refused to call the Portuguese the best footballer at the club, never mind the world.

Benitez is in charge of second-tier Newcastle United. Per Sky Sports Statto, overall his record in English football is a positive one:

Since taking over from Benitez, Zidane has done a fine job in charge of Madrid. In his first season in he guided them to the Champions League title for the 11th time. The team are well placed to progress in this year’s competition and are a point behind La Liga leaders Barcelona with a game in hand.

De Laurentiis will be watching on hoping his players can get one over on some of Madrid’s "spoiled superstars" on Tuesday. However, you sense his words may motivate the illustrious visitors and make a difficult task even tougher for Napoli.