Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is taking the slow lane on what might be the worst-kept secret in Italian football. With Massimiliano Allegri reportedly in negotiations for the head coaching role, De Laurentiis has publicly pumped the brakes, insisting on a broader vision of consistency and European improvement before making anything official.
“We cannot and must not talk about Allegri until we really have him,” De Laurentiis stated in late June 2026.
The coaching chess match
Napoli technically has no confirmed head coach. De Laurentiis has held off on any formal announcement, reportedly waiting until regulations permit the move to be finalized.
Allegri is said to be in discussions over a potential two-year contract. Rather than addressing the coaching speculation directly, De Laurentiis shifted his public comments toward the club’s broader ambitions: domestic consistency and meaningful progress in European competition.
