Napoli cancels Allegri press conference at last moment

Napoli cancelled Allegri's pre-match press conference on Saturday without explanation, fuelling speculation about the manager's future amid poor results.

Napoli scrapped manager Massimiliano Allegri's scheduled pre-match press conference on Saturday at the last moment, just hours before the team's home fixture against Lazio on Sunday. The club had journalists assembled at 15:00 when the cancellation was announced.

Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly made the decision to keep Allegri in the team's isolation bubble ahead of the crucial match, though the timing of the cancellation — coming so late — only intensified speculation about the manager's position. Earlier reports confirmed De Laurentiis still has confidence in Allegri, but the sudden withdrawal of the press opportunity contradicted that message.

Allegri's tenure has been inconsistent since his summer appointment. Napoli sit eighth in Serie A with 14 points from 10 matches and are 27th in the Champions League after a 4-1 defeat to Porto. Reports also suggest divisions have formed within the squad, adding to the crisis atmosphere.