Mario Giuffredi, the agent of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, addressed the media today at the Gold Tower Lifestyle Hotel in Naples to clarify the much-debated case surrounding his client during this summer’s transfer market. Giuffredi aimed to dispel rumors and provide insights into the decisions affecting Di Lorenzo and other Napoli players he represents, including Gianluca Gaetano, Mario Rui, Matteo Politano, and Michael Folorunsho:
The Press Conference
“Thank you all for accepting the invitation. About a week ago, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, with the club’s agreement, communicated his desire to stay at Napoli through a letter. He wishes to continue both his professional and personal life with the club and the city. As his agent, I felt it necessary to clear up what has been said and provide the truth to the fans, who often only hear the media’s version.”
Giuffredi emphasized the unique pressure on Di Lorenzo as Napoli’s captain, a position once held by the legendary Maradona, and the importance of clearing up any misconceptions for the sake of a peaceful season ahead.
A Challenging Season
“The past season was incredibly difficult. After winning the Scudetto, there were radical changes: a new coach, a new management with Meluso replacing Giuntoli, and President De Laurentiis becoming more involved. Despite initial optimism, the team struggled and finished tenth, leading to frustration and disappointment among the players, especially Giovanni.”
Di Lorenzo’s Struggles
“Giovanni faced numerous challenges, both on and off the field, and often took on responsibilities beyond his role as a player. He dealt with internal team issues and management disputes, which led to significant stress and a sense of helplessness. His commitment never wavered, but the constant pressure took a toll.”
Giuffredi recounted an incident where Di Lorenzo collapsed from stress before a match against Fiorentina, which was wrongly interpreted by the media as him faking illness due to a supposed agreement with Juventus: “Then there were two or three situations that led to certain consequences. The first one happened during Fiorentina-Napoli: Di Lorenzo was traveling with the team but didn’t play in the match, staying in his room because he wasn’t feeling well. At the end of the match, when the team was leaving to catch the train, the bus stopped by the hotel to pick up Di Lorenzo. They tried calling him, but he didn’t answer the phone. The doctors entered his room and found him collapsed. It was an episode caused by severe stress. However, the next day, the newspapers reported that Di Lorenzo had faked being ill because he had an agreement with Juventus and didn’t want to play in the match. There couldn’t have been anything more unfair than that. He was hurt by the situation because, despite the club knowing what had really happened, no one from the organization denied those unfounded rumors.”
The Turning Point
Despite these adversities, Di Lorenzo had stated he would stay if Antonio Conte were appointed as coach, believing Conte could provide the stability and support needed. Giuffredi highlighted the importance of Conte’s understanding and willingness to address the player’s concerns.
“There were misunderstandings about Conte’s approach. He didn’t demand Giovanni to stay unconditionally. Instead, he worked with us to resolve issues and demonstrated a genuine desire to keep him. This understanding from Conte was crucial in reassuring Giovanni.”
The Juventus Rumors
Giuffredi dismissed the rumors of Di Lorenzo’s move to Juventus, stating that the only contact came from Cristiano Giuntoli, who was no longer with Juventus at that time. He reiterated that there was never a formal offer or serious consideration from Juventus:
“Today everyone says that Di Lorenzo had everything arranged with Juventus. However, I remember only one person from Juventus who called me about Di Lorenzo: Manna, when he was at Juventus, before Giuntoli arrived. So, it was clear that both the coach and the director wanted to keep Giovanni. The last obstacle was understanding the intentions of the ownership. Directors and coaches can leave, but president De Laurentiis remains. Therefore, I needed to have the final certainty. I went to a meeting with him at Filmauro, seeing him again after many months. Since Barcelona-Napoli, I had not seen or heard from him because, like the fans and the players, I felt a frustration watching Napoli. I hadn’t watched a match since that Champions League game, and I was also very down and distanced myself from Napoli because I am also a fan.”
Final Assurances
The final assurance came after multiple discussions with President De Laurentiis, who acknowledged past shortcomings and expressed a strong desire to keep Di Lorenzo. These conversations, combined with the support from Conte and the club’s management, convinced Giuffredi and Di Lorenzo of the club’s commitment.
“De Laurentiis, at the meeting at Filmauro, was kind and gentle as always. He admitted to some shortcomings the club had towards Giovanni. Even the president sometimes said things that were unpleasant, but we need to realize that this is a president who took control after Giuntoli and Spalletti, invested all the necessary money, and ended up with those results. He was frustrated and angry too. He was extremely disappointed. I am sure that in his place, I would have said worse things. The disappointment of last year is not easy to contain, so he also needs to be excused if he had some shortcomings towards Giovanni. During those four hours, he acknowledged these issues, but despite this, I kept saying that we wanted to leave Napoli. I said this because I needed to understand if the president truly wanted to keep Giovanni. At the meeting, there was also CEO Chiavelli and deputy director Sinicropri, people I never had doubts about, who wanted Di Lorenzo. The doubts were only about the president. I left that meeting saying that we did not want to stay.
When I left, the president called me and asked if we could meet again the next day in Naples. Then I understood that he was not giving up either. After four hours of discussion, he still wanted to talk to me. He had the patience to call me, to summon me to the Britannique, and we spent more hours talking. After this last meeting, I was certain that the president wanted to keep Giovanni at Napoli. At that point, I also had to make sure the player remained calm, as he was playing in the European Championship. I spoke with him, explained all this process of discussions, phone calls, and probing with the coach and the president. I explained that at the end of this strategy, there was the certainty that everyone at Napoli wanted him, and that he could stay there calmly and serenely.”
“In the end, the commitment from all sides was clear. Giovanni can now focus on his role with peace of mind, knowing he is genuinely valued at Napoli.”
