Massimiliano Allegri unhappy with Napoli players as ‘honeymoon’ period ends

Napoli manager Massimiliano Allegri has expressed his dissatisfaction with the behaviour of some players in the club’s dressing room, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

The newspaper published a report under the headline “The end of the honeymoon between Allegri and Napoli”, claiming that the atmosphere behind the scenes at Castel Volturno, Napoli’s training centre, is far from ideal.

The report comes after Napoli collected only 7 points from their opening 5 Serie A matches and also suffered defeat by Arsenal in the Champions League.

La Repubblica said Allegri was particularly frustrated by the attitude of some of the team’s most experienced players.

The Italian coach initially adopted a relaxed approach towards the senior members of the squad. During pre-season, he avoided putting them through an excessively demanding physical programme and attempted to ease tension during the summer training sessions.

According to the report, Allegri expected that approach to produce positive results. He believed the players would respond by appreciating the trust shown in them, but what he saw on the pitch was “far removed” from what he had anticipated.

The newspaper said Allegri has now moved away from a “carrot” approach and begun using the “stick” instead.

It added that he had acknowledged Napoli’s players “are not doing enough” and that “a different attitude is needed”.

The claims suggest a significant change in the relationship between Allegri and the squad after the manager’s initial efforts to manage his experienced players with greater flexibility.

Former Napoli manager Antonio Conte is also reported to have previously said: “I will not walk alongside a dead man,” expressing his dissatisfaction with the team.

Napoli will return from the international break with a Serie A match against Frosinone before facing Villarreal in the Champions League.