Garcia criticizes De Laurentiis: “Napoli president lacks football knowledge”

Ex-Napoli manager Rudi Garcia has spoken out against club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, accusing him of meddling in team affairs. “He tried to dictate lineup choices. He understands cinema, but not football,” Garcia stated.

Garcia’s brief tenure at Napoli from July to November 2023 was marked by a strained relationship with De Laurentiis. Taking over after Luciano Spalletti’s Scudetto-winning season, Garcia managed only eight wins, four draws, and four losses across all competitions before being dismissed.

In a recent interview, Garcia expressed his frustrations with De Laurentiis’s management style. He revealed that the president attempted to influence tactical decisions and player selections, even suggesting substitutions at halftime.

“I’m 60 years old. I can’t allow a president to dictate my team selection,” Garcia declared. “De Laurentiis may know cinema, but he has limited understanding of football.”

The French coach also highlighted issues within the club, including players and staff wanting to leave, and contract renewal problems with key players like Victor Osimhen and Piotr Zielinski.

Garcia criticized De Laurentiis’s priorities, stating, “The president was more focused on winning the Champions League than bringing stability to the club.”

Following Garcia’s departure, Napoli underwent significant changes, including substantial investments in new players for incoming coach Antonio Conte. These additions include Alessandro Buongiorno, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Romelu Lukaku, and David Neres.

Garcia concluded by suggesting that had De Laurentiis retained him, Napoli might have secured Champions League qualification instead of their current 10th place position.