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The 2023 Scudetto winner was linked with a move away from Napoli this summer, but has decided to stay put
Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo has decided to remain with the Partenopei despite earlier reports that he was likely to move to Serie A rivals Juventus.
Di Lorenzo decides on Napoli stay
The Italian full-back became the first Napoli captain to lift the Serie A title in 33 years when the Partenopei won the Scudetto in the 2022/23 season but after one season, he was left feeling betrayed by the club following their disastrous title defence in 2023/24.
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Di Lorenzo was publicly upset by the reaction to Napoli’s shambolic title defence, and took issue with the president and fans of the club, but after holding talks with new coach Antonio Conte and president Aurelio De Laurentiis, he decided that the best course of action was to remain with Napoli.
The Napoli captain released a statement on social media and the club’s official website confirming his intention to stay and pleading with the Partenopei fans for their support in the upcoming season.
Di Lorenzo stays for fans
Speaking about why he wanted to leave Napoli, Di Lorenzo said, “All those who hold Napoli dear to their hearts have had a very difficult 12 months. They have been the hardest of my career. Going from the indelible joy of winning the Scudetto to the sadness of a season in which we could not achieve anything was a difficult pill to swallow. I could sense your disappointment and my team-mates and I were not able to change the course of our year.
“I’ll admit, I toyed with the idea of leaving. I could feel your unhappiness towards me and, as the president said, I had felt abandoned by the club. After the decline we experienced on the pitch, it was all understandable: your anger, the club’s frustration, my confusion.”
He then confessed the reason for deciding to stay with Napoli, saying, “I’ve listened to what President De Laurentiis and Antonio Conte have had to say. I’ve spoken with both of them over the past couple of days and, without making useless claims and empty promises, the message that I can give to you is very simple: I can’t wait to start again. I feel like I am one of you.
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“There may be other difficult moments, but I will never forswear what the city, the fans, and the club, through President De Laurentiis, have done for me and my family.”
Di Lorenzo’s decision to stay with Napoli will cause heartbreak for Juventus and Inter, who were both interested in taking the Partenopei captain away from Naples.
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