Serie A: Napoli-Lazio 0-0 LIVE on the pitch

On the pitch at 12.30pm Napoli-Lazio LIVE

The Naples powder keg threatens to explode and so the company runs for cover. Players in retreat starting yesterday afternoon and Allegri's press conference, in view of tomorrow's match against Lazio, cancelled. These are the initiatives implemented to revive the team which has lost, up to now, seven of the 14 matches played this season. Something, however, must have escaped the club, at an organizational level, because the journalists, with a message sent on Friday at 2.30 pm, had been summoned to Castel Volturno for the usual meeting with the coach.

And on Saturday morning there had been no other warning to the contrary. At 2.55pm, five minutes before the appointment, the twist. In the press room of the technical center of Castel Volturno, in place of Allegri, the head of the press office of Calcio Napoli showed up to communicate the about-face to around twenty journalists present: the meeting with the coach for the presentation of Napoli-Lazio had been cancelled.

The reason given was brief: 'The club canceled the press conference because Napoli are withdrawing'. The protests of the journalists who had reached Castel Volturno, 40 kilometers from Naples, were of no avail. On the other hand, the press officer, the only manager present, had limited himself to reporting a decision taken from above.

It is clear that such a sensational reversal could only have been carried out on the recommendation of the top management of the club, which is not new, in moments of difficulty for the team, in radically solving communication problems through the use of press blackout. In essence, President De Laurentiis would have intervened, but only at the last minute, to give the indication to Allegri and the press office to cancel the meeting. It is probable that the president, with this decision, wanted to try to maintain maximum concentration, at all levels, on the match against Lazio, fully involving not only all the players in the squad, including the injured and suspended players, but also the coach himself in the spirit and motivations of the withdrawal.

Allegri, since his adventure on the blue bench began, i.e. since last July, had never missed an appointment with journalists and everything leads us to believe that on this occasion too, if the indication from above had not come, he would have regularly shown up for the appointment, already set with the press. The club, therefore, is trying to find a solution to Napoli's results crisis, as has not been remembered for years, aggravated by the friction within the locker room, which emerged sensationally on the pitch of the Do Dragao in Porto, with the argument between Lucca and De Bruyne, and in the post-match statements of Politano, Hojlund and McTominay.

Allegri, if he had spoken, would still have been able to give little information on the team he intends to field against Lazio. The nine injured players and the suspended Marianucci are out of the game, so the coach has only 13 outfield players left at his disposal and among these he will have to choose the ten who will take to the field from the first minute, together with the goalkeeper Meret. The other three will presumably take over in the second half, but the coach's room for maneuver remains extremely limited.

For Lazio the most difficult part comes now. The Biancocelesti, after having conquered the top of the table alone with 3 points ahead of Inter, find Napoli on their path, fresh from the double defeat against Juventus in the championship and Porto in the Champions League and with half the points compared to Gattuso's team. Despite this, however, Gattuso warns his team because 'I don't trust Napoli in difficulty. Let's go and play in a difficult stadium against a lively and strong team. We have nothing to lose, but if we go there and think we're going for a health walk we'll be making the biggest mistake.'

A warning, that of the coach, repeated several times during the week and which is also based on the knowledge of Massimiliano Allegri, today on the Neapolitan bench, who in the past was my captain and coach. History says I never won against him. I hope to do a quarter of what he did in his career and knowing him I'm sure he doesn't die of stress, in fact in moments of difficulty he always finds the clarity to make ends meet.' Gattuso's return to Naples ('I had a great time, it was an honor to coach him and he remained in my heart') also coincides with the possibility of further extending himself in the standings by taking advantage of the direct clash between Inter and Como.

A possibility that Gattuso doesn't take into consideration: 'I'm not thinking about the record. When we reach 40 points we will celebrate because we have achieved the first objective. We have nothing to do with it up there, if we start thinking about it then that's when the blow comes', continues the coach. Who in Naples will have to deal with the absence of Zaccagni, stopped by an injury and out for around 40 days, and with Tavares in doubt until the end but will be able to embrace Rovella and Marusic again, albeit not as starters. There won't even be the fans, who were banned from traveling, who still found a way to make their warmth felt by waiting for the team at Rome's Termini station before leaving for Naples and encouraging them with chants and flags.

A gesture that Gattuso himself wanted to underline as 'a message of love. For us it must be a source of pride, giving us the energy to bring home a positive result. We must make them proud with our performances on the pitch and by honoring the Lazio shirt,' the coach said. Ready, despite repeating like a mantra that Lazio had nothing to do with it, to enjoy the second break of the season looking at everyone from the heights of an unexpected and therefore even more beautiful solo record.