Napoli’s players find themselves confined to a hotel for the past few days as a consequence of their poor performance. The reigning Serie A champions, who triumphed last season after a 36-year gap, are struggling to defend their title adequately. Currently occupying the ninth position in the league table, Napoli has suffered five defeats in their last eight Serie A matches and recently faced a humiliating 4-0 defeat by newly-promoted Frosinone in the Coppa Italia.
In an effort to revitalize the team, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis initiated a week-long retreat, known in Italy as ‘ritiro’ or ‘withdrawal’. Despite its seemingly tranquil name, this retreat involves the players being isolated from their friends and family, engaging in rigorous training throughout their stay.
The intention, as insiders reveal, is for the players to foster camaraderie and concentrate solely on football to reverse their current downturn. Although De Laurentiis permitted a brief break in isolation on Thursday, allowing players to visit family members for the evening, they were required to return by the end of the day.
The challenge of defending their Serie A title became more demanding, especially with the departure of manager Luciano Spalletti to the Italy national team. While Napoli managed to retain key players like the £100 million Premier League target Victor Osimhen and the mesmerizing winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, they lost star defender Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich.
Despite their efforts in the transfer market, Napoli’s struggles this season may jeopardize their chances of European football qualification. The upcoming season poses additional threats, with the possibility of losing Osimhen, who, despite signing a contract extension last month until 2026, has a release clause ranging from €120 million (£103 million) to €130 million (£111 million).
Napoli performance and stats
Napoli
Napoli is currently 9th in the Serie A with 28 points.
In the last 19 games, it has won 8 times, drawn 4 times, and lost 7 times. In its last match, Napoli lost 3-0 against Torino.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 28 goals and conceding 24.
Napoli will play the next match in Serie A against Salernitana on Saturday 13th of January in Napoli. The prediction is Napoli winning the match.
