Allegri steps aside for Landucci: Napoli prepare for Monza and Juve

Allegri withdraws his appeal against a two-game ban and will miss today's trip to Monza and Sunday's match at Juventus; assistant Landucci takes charge.

Massimiliano Allegri has voluntarily withdrawn his appeal against the two-game suspension he received following his red card in Napoli's match against Roma. The decision means he will miss both today's away fixture at Monza (20:45 kick-off) and Sunday's trip to the Juventus Stadium.

Allegri announced the decision at his pre-match press conference, stating he wanted to close the matter rather than prolong it. "I decided to give up the appeal, maybe instead of two games I'll take four," he said. "I want this thing to be closed. We can't change the ban or the result anyway."

Assistant coach Marco Landucci will take charge of the team for both matches. The former Fiorentina goalkeeper has managed Napoli twice before against Monza in the 2022-23 season, recording one league defeat and one Coppa Italia victory. Napoli are seeking their first away win in over two months and face a demanding run of three consecutive away matches: Monza today, Juventus on Sunday, and Porto in the Champions League next Wednesday.