u/LoridanITA

His agent revealed this to StileTv: “There is great interest from Napoli in Mbokazi, for the moment I haven't heard from Manna, but if an agreement were to be reached between the two clubs he could play in Naples.”

*Personal opinions*

The source is what it is, but from what I saw at the World Cup, he doesn't look bad at all. The boy is short by defender standards, only 1.77 m, but precisely for this reason I saw a lot of Lobotka in him: Good ability to hold the ball and distribute it, even with a good foot for crossing and running through, which is why I see him better as a low midfielder, but then, if they want to promote him as a "South African Cannavaro," I'll be happy with that. I'd keep his name on record until the necessary sales are made; I don't see much competition, and his price tag is affordable.

If anyone has seen more of him than the World Cup I'd be happy to hear his thoughts.

I'm writing this post as a vent because I need it:

MANNA?! WHERE ARE YOU? WAKE UP!

A few days ago, Giovanni Manna gave an interview about Napoli's future, professing calm, that the players will be evaluated by the new coach, and that no one will come in until someone is sold. In case you hadn't realized, this reasoning makes no fucking sense.

The transfer market doesn't wait for us. If we wait for the coach to analyze a squad of 50 players to begin figuring out who to sell and who not to, we'll find ourselves in August with no one on the market and with all the contactable players already signed. Look at Gila and Khalaili. You may like them or not, but they were club targets that are now fading, called by other clubs who have already made their moves.

We're stuck; we can't buy because we have a full squad, and we can't sell because he has to evaluate a coach who arrives two months late. Manna's work is proving inefficient, especially on the way out. I swear to God, if the first "sale" is a loan with a option to buy, I'm going to bite off his Drughi tattoo.

I hoped until the end that it wasn't the case, but oh well, now it's time to be fans and hope for the best

Following the rumors about Vicario, I've allowed myself to fantasize. The Udine goalkeeper, despite a terrible season, is truly excellent; it's no coincidence that he's Donnarumma's second in command for the national team.

​

​

I'll start by saying that goalkeeping is the last area I'd invest in; my priority is the right flank, from defense to attack, but if it were to happen, I think the best thing would be a complete overhaul.

​

​

Sell both Vanja and Meret, making a big capital gain, with the latter leaving Napoli after eight years. Even though I haven't had a good relationship with Alex, it would be a painful separation; he's the best goalkeeper in our history (we were just passing through for Zoff), and no one will take that away from him🫡.

​

​

Once that's done, we'd sign Vicario and a promising young player as a second. Either give Ferrante a chance or look elsewhere. This way, this alternating goalkeeping situation will finally end, and we'd have an experienced regular starter and a young player ready to play a few games when needed.

​

​

What do you think? Tell me your thoughts.

Non si sono accorti della bestemmia censurata😂😂

I'm writing this post in light of recent reports linking Rabiot and Vlahovic to Napoli. I don't know who's spreading these rumors, but with the current squad, they'd be completely pointless.

Both have very high salaries and aren't willing to lower them (especially Vlahovic). Taking on their salaries right now would be counterproductive for a team that needs to save money now more than ever (and if we want to renew Scott's contract, it will be a must). Furthermore, what would their roles be? They currently wouldn't have a starting spot (Hojlund > Vlahovic, and Rabiot can't be preferred to McTominay or KDB), combined with the salaries of key players, this would be foolish.

Let's get specific, though:

Rabiot is a great player and would be a great replacement for the outgoing Anguissa... however, he's not a promising prospect. He's even older than the Cameroonian, and he has a long-term contract with AC Milan, which adds a significant price tag. Add all the costs together, and we're looking at a more expensive deal than Kevin De Bruyne, with less publicity and less prestige.

Vlahovic, on the other hand, is different. He's 26 and a free agent. The transaction costs would be lower than Rabiot's, but his salary is still significant. There must be a reason why he hasn't renewed his contract with Juventus, even though the Bianconeri need him more than ever. Add to this his sub-par physical condition, having missed 25 games this year, and we can't afford yet another injury-prone player. I'll end on the Serbian by saying that if a well-known player whose contract expires for a year hasn't been contacted by anyone, there must be a reason.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Well, De Bruyne spoke, and damn, he was frank. At least he was fair, and he waited for the manager's departure to go out with these statements (given our recent history, that's a luxury).

I won't beat around the bush,

Kevin is right in my opinion:

If you take a legend, famous for his assists, you can't demote him to a constructor, you can't chain him to a role that isn't his and wait for him to adapt. That's the beauty and the shame of experienced players: They know how to play a role very well, but reinventing them is complicated. Now he wants clarification from the club regarding his future, which is understandable, so we'll wait for the outcome.

I want to give a shout out to positivity. Those who follow this SubReddit know how much I despise Allegri, BUT maybe, and I stress MAYBE, he could get along well with De Bruyne. It seems counterintuitive, given the Tuscan's even more Jurassic-like style of football, but listen up.

Allegri is a manager, like Ancelotti, so to speak, a coach who bases much of his ability on the human side, he doesn't meke his players overperform (that's why valorizing the various loans seems like bullshit to me), but he can do very well with individually strong players because he lets them free to express their ideas to the fullest. Max's simplicity is based on this, and after a Sergeant like Conte, it's a breath of fresh air.

I repeat once again that I find him an outdated coach because these days it's not enough to talk to the players, you have to teach them something to also valorize the squad but for the time being we don't have a choice so, get ready for this ride.

As soon as Allegri's confirmation from the club arrives, I'll cut it. There are 6 months left until the deadline, but I won't spend €60 on a ticket to see Allegri ball anyway.

In recent days, there had been talk of phantomatic offers from American funds to purchase SSC Napoli around €2.2 billions (😳) with Aurelio De Laurentiis rejecting them. Given the situation, it seemed like a good time to discuss the pros and cons of a foreign fund acquiring Napoli. You're free to disagree with my statements, and I invite you to comment.

Pros:

Economic Strength (Certainty): In all likelihood, whoever buys Napoli would be much richer than the current management (a €2 billion offer isn't for everyone). This would guarantee greater security in the event of mistakes, and the club wouldn't be at risk of bankruptcy after a poor transfer window (look at Juventus, they haven't had a good one in years 😂😂).

Private Structures (Certainty): Ultimately, this is the goal of every owner with money: to build their own structures so as to be the only ones to profit from it and increase the value of the asset. The biggest problem facing the brilliant De Laurentiis management (you must NEVER forget how much good he's done for us) is the lack of real investment in facilities and the future. For a club competing in the Champions League, not owning either the training center or the stadium is quite strange. Added to all this is the great doubt of the Naples municipality, which I don't know how much it would be open to selling its land to the new owners (I could easily imagine the stadium in Bagnoli replacing the Italsider, an abandoned steelworks; just Google it to see the wasted space).

Independent financial resources (possibility): What everyone thinks about when it comes to new owners is how much can be spent on the market. I'll give you the bitter news that the FFP exists even when you have money. Don't expect pharaonic campaigns like the EPL, but big transfers windows like those of recent years could become more frequent. However, this isn't a certainty looking to a con i will discuss soon.

Cons

Loss of identity (certain): An investment group doesn't care about the city. All those stalls selling fake jerseys would be put at risk; the SSC Napoli brand would be much more protected and privatized. For non-Neapolitan fans, it won't make a difference, but I can assure you that for the locals, it will be much more visible.

Confused hierarchy (Certainty):

If you ask a Napoli fan who runs the team, the answer is simple, but it's not for all teams. Being part of a fund made up of many investors makes it difficult to understand who's really in charge, creating confusion even when it comes to important decisions regarding the team. A majority will be needed, along with a bureaucracy that will slow everything down and sometimes make everything static. This prevents quick impulsive decisions, but also prevents us from taking advantage of opportunities if the project isn't clear.

Little real interest (possibility): Here we come back to financial resources. We may have billions, but if the club isn't interested in taking risks and only cares about fictitious profits... at that point we'd become AC Milan. A real mess, right? The biggest risk is this, hoping the management truly care about the team and are willing to spend to help them win, not participating.

I'll end this discussion with some final considerations. Aurelio De Laurentiis won't live forever, I already talked about this in another post, and the interview with Conte clearly shows signs of senile dementia. I'd like to trust the family, but as much as I believe Valentina De Laurentiis is capable of continuing her father's goals, Edoardo, whom I've met, is absolutely incapable of taking on this task. He's too sentimental; he'd squander everything in the hope of making us win, becoming a copy of former president Ferlaino.

Let me know your thoughts, and tell me any other pros and cons I've certainly overlooked.

Why is one hailed while the other is considered the antichrist despite them being very similar?

We've reached the end of this season, amidst joys and regrets, but we'll talk about that later. For now, let's talk about the match.

Let's start with Alisson and Lobotka, thank them for reminding us that "it's not over until it's over," which also applies to the injuries that have plagued us throughout the season. We wasted a lot of chances today, but at least they existed. We created a lot of chances, and that gave me hope. We dominated the game against a team of frustrated assassins who did nothing but try to hurt our players.

Let's talk about a few individual players.

The defense today was masterful; Di Lorenzo was monstrous at the start, Rrahmani and Olivera repeatedly saved dangerous balls, and the next player to start was Juan Jesus, who looked like Bolt today, truly satisfied. The midfield, McTominay and Gilmour, performed well, even though the former missed an impossible goal, but we'll talk about that shortly. Gutierrez did well, Politano did poorly (what a surprise). I thought De Bruyne hadn't been brought on to allow him to rest and avoid risking his chances for the World Cup, but then he came on in the first half... but is he 35? No, because he was more aggressive than the entire team. A truly top-notch performance from the Belgian; he misplaced a few passes, but the assist was a masterpiece that only he could produce. The man of the match was Hojlund, and there's little to say. He was beaten, kicked, held, and yet he still won every challenge. Can we talk about that move down the wing? 1v2 and with phenomenal dribbling, he reached the goal and passed it to McTominay, who unfortunately squandered it. This performance should give confidence to the Dane, now officially a Napoli player and ready to keep his place as a starter.

It's been a tough year, but in the end, at least for the league, we have nothing to complain about. The team gave everything, and for those who have followed Napoli for a long time, since before they won trophies, it's been a good season.

Now I turn to you, readers, thank you for all your support this year. Today marks the end of the championship and the post-match memes, but I'm not leaving. I'll continue to (try to) make you laugh, even during the summer break. Thanks again for your support. VI VOGLIO BENE ASSAI FORZA NAPOLI SEMPRE💙

(now I'm watching the ADL e Conte Interview)

This is the last home game of the season, a relatively unimportant one. We've already secured the Champions League spot, but a second-place finish would be welcome. After the match, we'll discuss the performance, and in the days to come, the season as a whole.

For now, however, I want to focus on the departures, players who will surely leave at the end of the season, particularly the two former Roma players:

Juan Jesus and Leonardo Spinazzola.

The Brazilian defender arrived in the 2021/22 season with a less than stellar reputation, known for numerous blunders. While he hasn't been without criticism here either (especially in the 2023/24 season), he has played a key role in numerous seasons, both on and off the pitch. His peak came last season, where he effectively replaced an injury-prone Buongiorno. His record has been updated since arriving in Naples, with two Scudetti and a Super Cup.

The Italian winger, on the other hand, is more recent, having arrived under Conte on a free transfer, with a reputation for being injury-prone and now worn out. He's enjoyed a new lease of life, taking over that role first as a full-back and then as a winger after Kvara's departure. This year too, at least in the first half of the season, he's proven himself to be of a high standard, the only player capable of rivaling Di Marco, now the league's MVP, on that flank.

Today against Udinese will likely be their last match in a Napoli shirt, and I hope the stadium celebrates them with due recognition.

Thank you, Juan, thank you, Leonardo, for these magnificent years together, and good luck whatever the future holds (I also hope the Brazilian gets a job in management😉).

But alas, not everyone is applauding. Let's talk about the "Core Ingrato," Romelu Lukaku:

it's deeply disappointing to speak like this about the Belgian, I've always supported him, silencing all those who attributed his poor finishing ability. A wonderful year in the 2024/25 season, capped off with the winning goal against Cagliari. When he got injured during training, it was a blow to the heart; when he returned and scored that goal against Verona, it was like falling in love again. Those post-match words moved me... and then? What happened? He abandoned everyone: the team, the club, the fans, even Conte, who probably would have entrusted his life to him if necessary. A sad ending that, unfortunately, confirms Lukaku's past as a player who lacked clarity and conscientiousness. I also wish him the best, more psychologically than professionally.

Heads to the game everyone, let's enjoy it together fir the last time this season, FNS💙

"It's over, isn't it? Why can't i move on?"

The nightmares are finally over, Napoli has officially qualified for next season's Champions League, now let's try to secure second place against Udinese (also hoping something turns out 👀).

Possible cardboard scudetti aside, it was a seesaw game but always safe. Pisa was only dangerous after Buongiorno's mistake, where Manuel Meret made a great clearance.

My compliments to the midfield, which played really well today, managing the ball and finding spaces; the first goal is the result. Kudos also to Elmas for attacking every ball and space, while awaiting an increasingly dubious buyout (I'd sign him, but not at that price). Hojlund finally breaks free, providing an assist and a goal (WITH AN ASSIST FROM MAZZOCCHI, OH MY GOD) for the Dane, who needed this joy. Let's hope he can bring us many more next season, now that the acquisition is official.

The worst players on the pitch were Buongiorno, who needs to examine his conscience for too many errors this year, and Alisson, who was too selfish and stubborn.

One pleasant thing I noticed was the three-man midfield we line up for a while: McTominay-Lobotka-De Bruyne

very nice to watch. It's a shame we didn't see it earlier, with the rotation of an in-form Anguissa.

There's one game left, then I'll wish you a good World Cup, and I'll see you again for the transfermarket.

FNS💙

This squad is a joke, no discussion needed, only memes today