“Allegri to Napoli is a done deal: dismissed by Milan on Monday, the former Rossoneri coach has already found a new home — one that had pursued him for many years. In this morning’s ‘Caffè Di Marzio’ podcast, Gianluca Di Marzio reveals a behind-the-scenes detail: Allegri and Napoli had already reached an agreement before the final league matchday, before Milan-Cagliari.
Di Marzio reveals that an agreement was already in place before Milan-Cagliari: ‘Allegri and Napoli had reached an initial agreement last week, in any case before the final matchday of the league season. In reality, it is a connection that goes back a long way, already from last season, during the March-April period, when Conte sent signals to Napoli: it was possible that he would not stay despite winning the Scudetto at the very end. That is when Napoli made its move, that is when Napoli contacted Allegri and secured him. Then the displays of affection and love towards Conte, as well as the final Scudetto celebrations, changed the plans. Conte decided to stay, Allegri received the call from Milan, and so everything ended before it could formally and definitively begin.
Then this year, around a month ago, Conte decided to leave Napoli. At that point Napoli moved again and resumed contact with the coach with whom it had already committed itself during the previous season, reaching an initial draft agreement for a two-year contract worth around €6 million per season.’
Di Marzio continues and concludes: ‘The defeat against Cagliari cooled De Laurentiis’ enthusiasm somewhat. It was also a heavy defeat for Massimiliano Allegri himself. The parties took a sort of pause for reflection: De Laurentiis wanted to explore the managerial market a bit, including younger coaches, to understand whether a different cycle could begin. He thought about De Rossi, seriously evaluated Italiano, and arranged a meeting with his agents. The meeting was positive, except that De Laurentiis wanted to close the deal on that very occasion.’”
