Punitive retreats, mutinies, misunderstandings, an adventure born badly. Yet it all started with a James Bond-style photo
Science claims that there are three great loves in life. Napoli, which by natural evolution goes through fundamental cycles with higher frequency, has had its own in the recent era. The first is Maurizio Sarri: a childish and romantic feeling, with his head in the clouds, a sensation based on affinities. The last, the most important, is also the truest, most aware, he is the soul mate, the unexpected one, and he is undoubtedly Luciano Spalletti, the leader of the third scudetto. In the middle, there is the most tormented bond: it is with the wrong person, the suffering is continuous and leads to exhaustion and traumatic rupture. This was Carlo Ancelotti for the Azzurri: a coach who is already a legend, but not the right person for a team which, instead of gaining wings under his guidance, remained in a cocoon. A bit like now, with due proportions, the Napoli that is entrusted to Ancelotti has left a wonderful memory: the record of points with 91, a fun and exciting game. The championship that vanishes at the end of the season leaves an open wound that further increases the demands of the environment.