Newspaper identifies cliques in divided Napoli dressing room as pressure mounts on Allegri

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Kickjolly · AI-written · automatically reviewed · Football Italia ↗

Napoli's dressing room is reportedly divided into cliques, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, which may be contributing to the team's struggles under Massimiliano Allegri. The newspaper identifies groups of close friends among the players, including Italians Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Matteo Politano, and Leonardo Spinazzola, as well as other national groups. Some players, such as Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, are also described as individualistic. Pressure on Allegri has increased after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Porto.

Allegri has faced significant challenges since taking charge of Napoli, with the team winning just five of their first 14 competitive matches. Napoli are currently eighth in Serie A, 14 points behind leaders Lazio, and are at risk of not qualifying for the Champions League knock-out rounds after securing only three points from four games. The team's performance has been marred by a 4-1 defeat to Porto, with senior players appearing frustrated.

Matteo Politano expressed frustration during his post-match interview, suggesting that he is often the only one to take responsibility for the team's performances. He stated that it would be nice if other teammates, not just Italians, came to give explanations. La Gazzetta dello Sport warns that the players must sort themselves out, as much as Allegri must, to avoid a long and difficult season.