Napoli President says he will no longer sign African players ‘unless they sign AFCON Agreement’

August 3, 2022

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has declared he will no longer sign any more African players ‘unless they sign an agreement backing out of the Africa Cup of Nations’.

Earlier this year, Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who recently joined Chelsea, appeared at this year’s AFCON alongside Cameroon midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa.

The pair missed a number of Napoli games when they were away on international duty between January and February.

Months later and De Laurentiis appeared on a live stream with Wall Street Italia when he gave his views on African players featuring at the biennial tournament.

“I told them lads, don’t talk to me about Africans anymore!” said De Laurentiis during the event via Football Italia.

“I love them, but either they sign something confirming they’ll back out of playing the Africa Cup of Nations, or otherwise between that tournament, the World Cup qualifiers in South America, these players are never available!

“We are the idiots who pay salaries only to send them all over the world playing for others.”

ESPN quote the 73-year-old as saying: “Or they sign a waiver giving up their right to participate to the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments or between AFCON and the championships in South America.

“I never have them [Napoli players] available.”