Mutiny in Naples: Ancelotti comes out in defense of Allan

On November 5, 2019, Naples lived a night with little precedent in football history: its players mutinied against the club. Aurelio De Laurentiis wanted the team to go to the sports city for a punitive concentration, a decision that was not supported by the coach at that time, Carlo Ancelotti. The footballers refused and hence a tough face-to-face between them and the board was born, with midfielder Allan (now at Everton) and captain Lorenzo Insigne among the most infuriated.

The case is not over yet: these days the first arbitration hearing on the Brazilian’s situation took place, with Napoli that asks for a fine of 50% of his salary for a month, the highest punishment in the entire dressing room together with that of Insigne himself. Among the witnesses were the sports director Cristiano Giuntoli and his collaborator Giuseppe Pompilio, that confirmed the supposed “disrespectful phrases” of Allan towards Edoardo De Laurentiis, son of the president and vice president of Naples. Carlo Ancelotti also intervened, who accepted the player’s invitation to give his version. The Madrid coach, according to the ‘Corriere del Mezzogiorno’, he reiterated that “he was against the concentration imposed by the club”, and declared not to have listened to the offenses of Allan towards Edo De Laurentiis.

The ‘game’ will also be played on the physical conditions of the player, which according to a medical report at that time had to respect 15 days of rest. The club, on the other hand, maintains that despite not being available to play, Allan appeared on the summoned list and that, therefore, he had to respect the same obligations as the rest of his teammates. The end of the soap opera, except for surprises, will arrive in November.