SSC Napoli

[forzaitalia]

Apparently he had a bit of a stinker last night, Vargas. Was at fault for Cesena's goal somehow and was hauled off at half time.

[RomaShield27]

Mazzarri banned for Chelsea games
http://www.football-italia.net/node/15068 / By Football Italia staff / Thursday January 26 2012 /

Walter Mazzarri has been given a two-match ban by UEFA, meaning he’ll miss both Napoli’s legs against Chelsea. The Coach was sent off during the 2-0 win at Villarreal on December 7 when he shoved Nilmar in protest at his time-wasting tactics on the touchline.

Mazzarri later said he did it to prompt a reaction from his men, who at the time were going out of the Champions League due to a 0-0 result. UEFA have now ruled that he must sit out a two-match ban and pay a €3,000 fine, meaning the tactician has to be in the stands for both legs of the second round clash with Chelsea.

“We will present an appeal at the start of next week,” Napoli lawyer Mattia Grassani told Radio Gol. We’re hoping to at least reduce it to a one-match ban, seeing as there were no repercussions for the player pushed.

“Our objective is to cut that down to only a warning. We’ll try to prove Mazzarri’s behaviour was not aggressive. Above all, it was the player who moved towards the Coach and not the other way round.” The first leg is at the San Paolo on February 21, while the decider is at Stamford Bridge on March 14.

[RomaShield27]

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubf ... 75841.html

[RomaShield27]

Napoli v Chelski preview:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17090993

[red]

Chelsea team for tonight, according to a spy in the Chelsea hotel:



http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Squadre/N ... 9797.shtml

[Bagg10]

[Bagg10]

[red]

I would add Bayern to Real and Barca.

Bayern may not be playing as well as they were when they completely outclassed Napoli in the Group Stage, but they are certainly still a cut above.

When you look at what Schalke did last season, though, there is no reason Napoli can't go a long way if get a little luck.

[RomaShield27]

Yeh, Bayern outclassed Napoli in the group stage alright. But i agree, there's no reason Napoli couldn't go far in this competition, as long as they avoided Barcelona.

Their defence is still suspect, though. The way they are set up the centre-backs often become quite isolated with the opposition forwards and it can lead to a good chance or force the defender into making a crucial mistake, and against a more clinical team like Barca or Madrid they could easily be ripped apart (as Bayern showed).

For next season, I think if Napoli bought only one new player and spent all of their transfer kitty on a top-class centre-half who could become the leader and organiser of their defence they could be a serious team.

[RomaShield27]

Napoli-Tabarez spat over Cavani
Thursday March 1 2012 / http://www.football-italia.net/node/16217?

Aurelio De Laurentiis has hit back at Uruguay Coach Oscar Tabarez for suggesting Napoli’s Edinson Cavani should consider moving club. Taking questions on the tall hit-man during the international midweek round of fixtures, Tabarez, who led Uruguay to Copa America glory last summer, suggested that Cavani should move.

“I don’t know how long he’ll remain in Naples, but he should go and play in Spain or England,” commented the Coach nicknamed El Maestro on Wednesday.

“La Liga and the Premiershit are two Leagues more agreeable to his characteristics.”

To which Napoli President De Laurentiis has responded angrily this afternoon.

“Tabarez said he should leave? First he should be thinking about his own house, whilst it remains to be seen if clubs in England or Spain have the money to buy him. I hear people say there is no money [at Napoli], but nobody talks to me about it.

“When I bought [Edoardo] Vargas I had to fork out a lot - if I pay €12m for the Chilean then that means a bid for Cavani will have to be at his valuation. Also, Cavani is a serious person, who does not betray the team that he plays for.”

De Laurentiis also took time to comment on rumours linking Coach Walter Mazzarri with Inter and Marek Hamsik with a departure.

“The Nerezzurri’s fans would like Mazzarri at Inter? He has a contract with Napoli and this is not the time to talk about it, because it distracts us. “The relationship I have with my Coach is perfect, Mazzarri has a very good rapport with the team and the city.

“The agreement with him does not run to the end of this year, but to the end of the next, and many times he has said that he would like to continue as Coach, so the doors are and will remain open. “Hamsik? He has a contract with Napoli until 2016.”

[RomaShield27]

Ha, Mazzarri ban overturned for Chelsea, so he'll be on the sideline giving out the orders and sneaking in a few smokes. Everything seems to be going well for Napoli in the lead up to the second-leg, lets hope they can go there and complete the job.

Mazzarri ban overturned for Chelsea
http://www.football-italia.net/node/16623

Walter Mazzarri will be on the bench for Napoli’s crucial Champions League clash with Chelsea after an appeal on his original suspension was upheld.

The Coach was handed a two-game ban in the competition for his dismissal in the final match of the group stages, when he entered the field of play to push an opposition player - Villarreal’s Nilmar - away from the ball as it went out of play.

Mazzarri served the first game of that suspension in the first leg Last 16 clash against Chelsea at San Paolo, but is back for the second leg this Wednesday after the club confirmed that their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been successful.

[RomaShield27]

Why the fuck do we have a Napoli thread? Fuck off back to the lower leagues ye stupid fucking cnuts.

[juventino_italiano]

[RomaShield27]

Mazzarri: 'Napoli were fantastic'
http://www.football-italia.net/node/16676 / Wednesday March 14 2012

Walter Mazzarri felt Christian Maggio’s injury was the turning point and Napoli “lacked experience, but our Champions League campaign was fantastic.”

The Partenopei hoped to reach the quarter-finals when winning the first leg 3-1, but that was wiped out at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea progressed 5-4 on aggregate in extra time.

“It is a shame to go out like this,” said the Coach. “In terms of sheer performance, we created three or four scoring opportunities when it was still goalless. From Maggio’s injury onwards, we realised things were taking a turn for the worse.

“They did better than us on set plays. We couldn’t do any more than attempt man-marking, as they were physically much stronger in the air. We did concede a few too many corners, though, and we knew that would be dangerous.

“We lacked a little experience and still need to grow. Chelsea were clinical, as is to be expected from a team packed with world class players. Unfortunately we were a little unlucky with some of our chances.”

However, having qualified from a group including Bayern Munich and Manchester City, then gone within extra time of reaching the quarter-finals against Chelsea, Mazzarri can only be proud.

“After 21 years we managed to equal the record set by Diego Maradona’s Napoli. We are proud of that. Our Champions League campaign was fantastic. We flew through the group phase and I’d give us eight out of 10 considering what was expected of us at the start of the season.

“There were naive mistakes due to our lack of experience. We had almost everything to lose and it was understandable to make errors in this fiery atmosphere, yet we wasted so many chances against a side that before tonight hadn’t conceded on home turf.

“What can I say? We were in any case fantastic in the Champions League. The lads gave their all and in the locker room I tried to boost their morale.”

[Bagg10]

Fuck, I was hoping Siena could make a game of it and maybe even miraculously pull through but their playing without Callaio, D'Agostino, and Destro... As if playing with them at the San Paolo wasn't going to hard enough.

[RomaShield27]

I heard the San Paolo is a sell-out and has been for quite some time for tonight's game. Pity no one cares about the Coppa, right...

[RomaShield27]

Hamsik pens Napoli deal
Slovakian signs on until 2016

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7685757/? / Last Updated: April 19, 2012 10:51pm

Napoli star Marek Hamsik has officially signed a three-year contract extension at the San Paolo .

The Slovakian international, whose previous deal was due to run out at the end of next season, has signed on until 2016.

Hamsik agreed the new deal last month, but he has now put pen-to-paper on the contract to pledge his future to Napoli.
The news will disappoint a number of Premiershit clubs who were hoping to lure the playmaker away from Naples.

The 24-year-old joined Napoli in 2007 from Brescia and he has established himself as a key player for the club.

[RomaShield27]

You were good enough to play for an elite continental club. Did you ever hear of any interest? Would you have gone?
Barry Cole, Sheffield
Yes, I would have gone abroad and I got an enquiry from Napoli when Maradona played for them and they were Italy’s best team in the late ’80s. I was holidaying near Naples on the coast in Sorrento when 
a delegation of Napoli officials came to see me at my hotel. I was amazed that they knew I was there. We had a big chat, but nothing came of it. Imagine if that had come off... I was very tempted, but maybe with my situation it was best I didn’t go. There wasn’t really a drinking culture in Italian football, so maybe I would have started one.

http://fourfourtwo.com/interviews/one-o ... ticle.aspx

[RomaShield27]

Hopefully Lavezzi doesn't leave Napoli, it would be a big blow for them. And hopefully he stays in Serie A, too.

Lavezzi-PSG deal denied by agent
By Football Italia staff / Sunday May 20 2012

Ezequiel Lavezzi’s agent has denied telling the French media of a deal between Napoli and PSG. “The quotes were entirely made up.” This morning French website foot01.com published a story in which representative Alejandro Mazzoni declared Paris Saint-Germain had won the bidding war with Inter and Anzhi.

“Pocho will play in Paris next season, because they are the only club who made an offer close to the requests of Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis. “The announcement could come this week or even before the Coppa Italia Final with Juventus. These are not just rumours, but a concrete option.”

However, Mazzoni was contacted by CalcioNapoli24 and denied even speaking to the website, let alone making these statements. Napoli take on Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final in Rome this evening.

[RomaShield27]

NAPOLI WOULD SELL STAR DUO, BUT ONLY AT THE RIGHT PRICE ADMITS DE LAURENTIIS
http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2012/05 ... um=twitter
Posted on Wednesday, 23rd May 2012 by Forza Italian Football Staff

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed he is open to bids on star players Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, announcing no-one has come forward with the amount he is looking for, however if they did, he could not refuse.

Having won the Coppa Italia, the Partenopei have brough home their first piece of silverware in over 22 years, however the headlines are focussing on nothing but the potential exits of their star performers.

“All these stories about supposed negotiations for the players are currently pure invention by journalists,” De Laurentiis told the press.
“Whether it’s Cavani or Lavezzi, for now nobody has offered me the money I’m asking for. “If that were to happen, then I couldn’t hold back in the face of a crazy offer.”

Lavezzi does have a buy-out clause on his contract worth a massive €32 million, whereas Cavani’s price-tag is much higher.
So far Inter, PSG, Anzhi and Manchester City are in the running to scoop the Argentinian star.

De Laurentiis held the press conference to confirm the team will start their pre-season training in Dimaro from July 10-23.
“I’d like to convince Chelsea to play against us again in a friendly, while I’d also want to face City and PSG.

“Certain aspects have to be agreed with Juventus, but the Italian Super Cup will definitely be played in Beijing.”