De Laurentiis reveals Conte request for fan-free preseason
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed that head coach Antonio Conte requested to hold the club's summer training camps behind closed doors, a plea the president says he will not grant. The Napoli president, speaking at an event in Hollywood, shared details of a private conversation with the new Partenopei boss, who is currently preparing for his first season in charge.
According to De Laurentiis, Conte asked that the club's preseason training camps, often held in the Italian Alps and Abruzzo, be conducted without the presence of fans. The president recounted that Conte told him, "I don't want the fans at the next pre-season training camps in July and August." De Laurentiis was speaking at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, where he is promoting a film about the club's 2022-23 Scudetto win.
The president strongly pushed back on the idea, highlighting the deep connection between the club and its supporters. He described the massive fan presence at the club's traditional pre-season retreats, noting that 70,000 fans travel to watch training in Trentino, while 250,000 have been known to attend pre-season friendlies in Castel di Sangro. De Laurentiis framed the presence of fans as an act of "love" that deserves respect, not restriction.
"The fans must be respected," De Laurentiis stated, as reported by Italian media. "They give us love, they come to have fun, so we must have great respect for them. It's like when you make a film. Who do you make it for? For the critics? No. You make it for the public." The president's comments suggest a firm commitment to the club's open, fan-centric traditions, even as Conte, a famously intense and focused coach, seeks a more controlled and isolated environment for his squad's preparations.
The revelation offers a rare glimpse into the early dynamics between the famously demanding coach and the club's president. De Laurentiis also used the platform to explain his general aversion to long-distance pre-season tours, declining a lucrative offer to travel to Adelaide, Australia, citing the excessive travel time's negative impact on pre-season conditioning. The president's comments suggest that while Conte is actively planning for the club's pre-season, his request for privacy has been overruled, signaling De Laurentiis's priority on the club's bond with its supporters.
