Some rumors and coy remarks cast a shadow on the future of Luciano Spalletti, but he and team president Aurelio De Laurentiis settled their differences at dinner last week. The two are in advanced talks for a contract extension. It could be announced as soon as Thursday, La Repubblica reports.
According to Rai’s journalist Ciro Venerato (via SportdelSud), the gaffer was unhappy with the formality with which the team activated the option to prolong his deal. But the owner cleared the air and explained his plans vis-à-vis. The tactician won’t begin next season as a lame duck.
Spalletti and De Laurentiis are ironing out the details, but the decision has been made. He will ink a two-year renewal, perhaps with an option for another campaign. His wages will increase from €2.7M to €4M plus a sizeable bonus if they win the Scudetto again or take home the Champions League. Despite the pay hike, it’s still far less than top-paid gaffers like José Mourinho and Massimiliano Allegri.
The chairman reassured the manager that the squad would remain ultra-competitive. He’ll try to convince Victor Osimhen to stay with a bumper offer, making a rare exception to his salary policy. Kim Min-Jae would be replaced adequately if he left. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will stay put.
Our Take on Spalletti and Napoli
The boss is a prideful and slightly grumpy guy, but it was much ado for nothing. It didn’t make sense for either party to split. The coach needed multiple stops before finally winning the title. Instead, the team necessitates stability on the bench to avoid going through too many changes since their top director Cristiano Giuntoli is most likely bolting.
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