Aurelio De Laurentiis, the President of Italian Serie A side Napoli has stated that he will never want to sign an African player again. He said this during a streamed sports event.
Mr. De Laurentiis who is not only a club owner but also a big fan of football said his opinion about buying African players would not change unless they sign an agreement that would deny them from playing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, the most prestigious tournament in Africa.
Napoli currently has Victor Osimhen and Andre Zambo Anguissa, who represent Nigeria and Cameroon respectively in their first team, and previously Kalidou Koulibaly, who won the AFCON tournament with Senegal before leaving for Chelsea. These players and other African players join their respective nations for the Africa Cup of Nation Tournament during the middle of the European football season which normally had a negative impact on his team’s overall performance in the Italian Serie A and other international competitions they engaged in.
“I told them, lads, don’t talk to me about Africans anymore!” said Mr. De Laurentiis
“…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!”
The 73-year-old also stressed the fact that he ‘loves’ Napoli’s African players, but emphatically rules out the idea of having to pay them so much for the amount of time they are away; he pays these players to represent his football club and not to go play for others when the football season is still in progress.
“We are the idiots who pay salaries only to send them all over the world playing for others,” Laurentiis said.
Laurentiis clearly wants to dictate when African players can play for their respective countries.
Napoli currently has 2 African first-team players in their squad going into the 2022/2023 season.
Former Fulham man Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was on loan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona while he represented Cameroon at the AFCON tournament this January. Ironically, Napoli made his loan a permanent signing back in May.
The Serie A side’s star striker Victor Osimhen did not play for Nigeria at the AFCON earlier this year after a timely announcement by Napoli that he tested positive for COVID which kept the prolific forward from representing the Super Eagles. Although his withdrawal from selection raised a few eyebrows in Nigeria, all will be waiting to experience what happens in the next tournament, which is to stage on January 2023.
Last season, Napoli lost Kalidou Koulibaly to the AFCON and the center-back went all the way with Senegal and won the tournament. He now plays for Chelsea football club after making a move to the ‘Blues’ this opened market transfer.
De Laurentiis also revealed he received a few offers in 2017-18; one from an American investors ready to pay $900m to buy Napoli, but turned it down because of his love for doing what he does.
He said “In 2017-18, an American fund offered me $900m to sell Napoli. But they don’t realise I am this pure entrepreneur who enjoys playing the game, so let me keep playing.”