De Laurentiis stands by Allegri despite disastrous start for Napoli

Aurelio De Laurentiis, president of SSC Napoli, insists on keeping Massimiliano Allegri in his position, despite the team's disastrous start to the current season, which has sparked calls for the Italian coach's dismissal amid a decline in results both domestically and in the UEFA Champions League.

Italian newspaper «Sport Mediaset» reported that SSC Napoli is suffering from a buildup of negative results in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League, having suffered five defeats in both competitions, which has put the team under significant pressure, amid fears of drifting away from competing for the main goals of the season. Additionally, the team's points tally in the European standings adds to the difficulty of their situation.

The newspaper reported reassurances from the club's surroundings regarding Allegri's future, noting that Aurelio De Laurentiis is not currently considering parting ways with the coach from Livorno. Allegri commented on the decline in results: "It is natural to have some concern when looking only at the results, but it is different when evaluating the performance." He added: "I have gone through similar periods twice before, and I know only work is needed to get through this phase."

Allegri is relying on his previous experiences with teams he has coached to restore Napoli's balance, as he has previously suffered from difficult starts before achieving better results. In his experience with Cagliari, the team lost its first five matches in Serie A, but finished the season in ninth place with 53 points, comfortably securing survival.

The Italian coach faced a rocky start with AC Milan but succeeded in leading the team to the Serie A title and achieving the goal of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. In the 2012-2013 season, AC Milan secured qualification for the European competition on the final matchday, despite losing five matches in the first eight rounds of the league.

His experience with Juventus in the 2015-2016 season highlights his ability to turn things around, as the team started the season with disappointing results, drawing with Chievo, Frosinone, and Inter Milan, and suffering three defeats, before regaining their balance and winning the Serie A title after a strong comeback in the competition.

However, Allegri's task with SSC Napoli appears more complicated due to the decline in the team's performance and the doubts surrounding the atmosphere in the dressing room. This presents him with a dual challenge of improving results and restoring harmony among the players to prove his ability to replicate the comeback scenarios he achieved in previous stages of his coaching career.