Napoli in turmoil: De Laurentiis cancels Allegri press conference before Lazio clash

De Laurentiis cancelled Allegri's pre-match press conference 10 minutes before it was due to start, citing the need to protect players' focus during a midweek fixture.

Napoli's pre-match press conference with manager Massimiliano Allegri was abruptly cancelled by president De Laurentiis on Friday, just 10 minutes before it was scheduled to begin. The decision came with journalists already gathered at the Castel Volturno training centre.

De Laurentiis later explained via Twitter that he cancelled the event because the squad is in a midweek ritiro (retreat) and he believes press conferences serve no purpose when matches are played every three days, preferring to shield players from distractions.

The cancellation underscores the tension at Napoli, who have won just 7 of 14 matches this season, including four league defeats. They face Lazio on Sunday, who sit top of Serie A with a 14-point lead and are unbeaten. The fixture carries added intrigue: Allegri and Lazio manager Gattuso were teammates at Perugia and later worked together at Milan, winning the Scudetto in 2011. Allegri has beaten Gattuso five times in five previous meetings as a manager.

De Laurentiis met with sporting director Manna and Allegri on Friday, then addressed the squad with a motivational speech reaffirming his faith in the coach. The club hopes a reaction against Lazio will mark a turning point after recent defeats to Juventus and Porto.