De Laurentiis reveals reason for Allegri press conference cancellation: I made the decision

Aurelio De Laurentiis, president of SSC Napoli, revealed the reason behind the cancellation of the press conference that was scheduled to be held by coach Massimiliano Allegri on Saturday before the match against SS Lazio in Serie A, confirming that he personally intervened to prevent it from taking place.

Massimiliano Allegri was set to speak to the media at 3 PM local time, but the conference was cancelled at the last minute, despite journalists already being inside the conference room at the club's training center in Castel Volturno, which raised questions about the reasons for the decision.

The cancellation comes amid the difficult circumstances Napoli are facing after their heavy loss to FC Porto by four goals to one in the UEFA Champions League, a defeat that has increased the pressure on the team ahead of their upcoming clash against SS Lazio, the leaders of Serie A.

The club clarified to reporters that the conference was not originally included in the team's media schedule due to their closed training camp. Reports indicated that De Laurentiis held a meeting with Allegri and the players following the European defeat and decided to impose the camp to shield the team from external criticism and pressure.

Napoli president has put an end to speculation regarding the decision, after he published a clarification on his account on the "X" platform, stating: "There is no crisis within Napoli. When I realized we were about to hold a new press conference, I preferred to stop it myself."

He added: "Why? Because I don't think press conferences are necessary before matches, especially since we have a game every three days. We are in a closed camp, and we must avoid any distractions that could take the players' focus away from the match. When the team is in a camp, full protection must be provided for everyone."

De Laurentiis emphasized that the cancellation of the conference is not related to any punitive measures against Allegri or the players, but rather comes as part of an effort to provide calm and focus for the team ahead of the important clash against SS Lazio.