De Laurentiis Livid with Garcia After Union Berlin Draw

Aurelio De Laurentiis requested a meeting with Napoli coach Rudi Garcia following Wednesday’s disappointing draw against Union Berlin. The boss was one of the last ones to leave the stadiums after the post-game pressers, Corriere dello Sport relays.

The Azzurri were underwhelming but remain in the driver’s set to make the Round of 16, considering their four-point lead over Sporting Braga. They need to beat either the Portuguese side or Real Madrid to go through on their own. There are also favorable combinations that would allow that even if they don’t win anymore.

De Laurentiis was irate with Garcia and asked for clarifications about the team’s display. The patron has confirmed the gaffer but doesn’t just demand good results but also convincing performances.

Moreover, the owner was furious as there’s a €2M difference in terms of bonuses between a draw and a victory in the Champions League. In addition, dropping the ball favored Milan in the chase for a spot in the new Clubs’ World Cup in 2025.

Our Take on De Laurentiis and Garcia

So much for the reports about him changing his mind about the gaffer. Still, he should have picked a different manager or worked harder to convince Luciano Spalletti to stay put if he wanted somebody who would replicate last year’s exceptional showings and style.