Napoli President: Cut Serie A to 16 Teams After Italy's World Cup Failure
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has issued a strong statement following Italy's latest football disappointment, as the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off. Speaking to Radio CRC just hours after the Azzurri's defeat, De Laurentiis proposed reducing Serie A to 16 teams to allocate more time for national squad training.
He emphasized that the current schedule, with 20 teams and Supercups played abroad, exhausts players. "Too many matches are destroying our footballers," De Laurentiis stated. "If we revert to 16 teams and abolish the Supercups held in Saudi Arabia, our players – a valuable asset we invest in – could rest, and the national team would gain sufficient time for thorough training." He also questioned the effectiveness of Italian football's tactical approach on the international stage.
De Laurentiis criticized the stagnation within Italian football, declaring that "everything is stuck, and nothing changes." Furthermore, he insists that national federations should compensate clubs for players called up for international duty and provide full insurance coverage in case of injury. In his view, these are essential steps for the resurgence of Italian football.
Amid pressure on FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, who has so far refused to resign, De Laurentiis expressed support for former CONI President Giovanni Malagò as a potential successor. "Malagò is a great professional who can make a real contribution," he commented. "If we were to restart with him, I believe we would be strong again within a couple of years."
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