Napoli President: 'Many Suspicions' About Juventus' Treatment in Serie A
Outspoken Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said Juventus' treatment in Italy raises "many suspicions" ahead of their clash in Serie A on Sunday.
De Laurentiis spoke to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) about last season's title race—in which Juventus left it late to secure their seventh straight Serie A triumph—and suggested many mistakes were made that seemed to benefit Napoli's rivals in an interview published on Saturday:
"We've spent so much money over the last 15 years, but until I get tired, I will continue taking this club where it deserves to be. We are protagonists and want to remain there, as the future belongs to Napoli.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
"Sooner or later, we will win the Scudetto. It is still an open wound from last season and I think it'll stay that way for a while. Many people suspect something is going on with the way the league is run, not just me. It's also a fact that this is a common problem in many other tournaments.
"I want to make one thing clear, though: VAR was introduced to avoid refereeing errors. If it is not used conscientiously, then it's inevitable people will think badly. And I had many doubts last season."
He also said fans of both clubs are treated differently, making reference to the fact that Napoli fans were barred from traveling to the two sides' game in Turin earlier in the season while Juve fans will be permitted to attend Sunday's contest in Naples.
De Laurentiis is one of Italy's most outspoken club owners, regularly making headlines with explosive interviews. He has feuded with former manager and current Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri―he called him a communist in December, per Neil McLeman of the Mirror―and claimed AS Roma are secretely owned by Liverpool, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).
He also told Radio Kiss Kiss (h/t Football Italia) that the team's San Paolo stadium is a "toilet" while criticising the city of Naples over the ground's state.
Napoli have been Serie A's second-best team for years, but Juventus' dominance of the competition has stopped them from winning their first national title since 1990.
They came close last season, leading the standings for more than half the campaign. They closed the gap to a single point with four matches left after Kalidou Koulibaly bagged a famous winner in Turin against Juventus, but a loss to Fiorentina the following week ruined their chances. Koulibaly was sent off early in that match.
The Partenopei finished with 91 points, becoming the first team in Serie A history to cross the 90-point mark and not win the title.
This year's campaign hasn't been nearly as exciting. Ahead of Sunday's contest, the Bianconeri have an enormous 13-point advantage, while Napoli sit nine points ahead of Inter, with a match in hand on the Nerrazzuri.
Juventus' march to an eighth consecutive title has seemed unstoppable throughout the season, and they're on course for their second-ever unbeaten campaign in Serie A. The Partenopei will be out to end their bid at home on Sunday.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
