Napoli Backs Allegri Before Crucial Bodo Glimt and Roma Tests

Napoli have reaffirmed their support for Massimiliano Allegri as the Italian club attempts to halt a damaging run of results ahead of its Champions League meeting with Bodo Glimt on October 20, 2026, followed by a Serie A clash against Roma. Sporting director Giovanni Manna said president Aurelio De Laurentiis wanted reassurance after consecutive defeats raised concerns about the team's direction.

According to The False 9, Napoli have lost five of their first nine matches across all competitions under Allegri, matching the number of defeats they suffered in their previous 29 games. The team sit ninth in Serie A with 10 points from seven league matches and have collected no points from their opening two Champions League fixtures.

The immediate crisis intensified with Saturday's 1-0 defeat away to Venezia, who had failed to earn a point in their first six league games. Akor Adams scored in the 49th minute, while Kevin De Bruyne missed a penalty that could have helped Napoli recover.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Manna described the communication between the club's leadership and coaching staff as ongoing, regardless of results. He acknowledged that the latest setbacks had prompted the president to seek clarity about the team's situation.

"We are constantly exchanging ideas, when we win or lose. Naturally, if we lose two in a row, including an ugly defeat to Venezia, it's natural the President wants to be reassured," Manna said.

The sporting director urged the team to concentrate on performances rather than public discussion. Napoli began their Champions League campaign with defeats against Arsenal and Villarreal, leaving the upcoming home fixture particularly important to their European prospects.

"There are many meetings that don't get so much publicity. We've got to shut up and work, bring home points and put in an important performance. There's no point thinking about Serie A right now, we need to knuckle down and get out of a situation that is not pleasant," Manna said.

Manna also dismissed speculation that Allegri's position was immediately under threat, while acknowledging that the squad required further development. The club appointed the coach after his departure from Milan, and its leadership has publicly maintained confidence in him despite the poor start.

"The coach is absolutely not in doubt," Manna said.

He said Napoli had anticipated the need for adjustments when assembling the squad. According to Manna, the club must improve concentration and deliver more consistent performances while planning to introduce younger players in a future transfer window.

"We know that the squad we gave him needs some adjustments, we were well aware of that. We need to raise the attention level and get out of this situation with consistency of both performances and results," Manna said.

Napoli's squad composition has also attracted scrutiny. Seven players in the starting lineup against Bodo Glimt had won the Serie A title under Luciano Spalletti four years earlier, while reports cited by The False 9 identified Napoli as having the highest average age in Serie A and the second-highest in the Champions League.

Manna challenged the suggestion that the squad's age alone explained its difficulties. He pointed to established players, including captain Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Matteo Politano and Stanislav Lobotka, as contributors whose performances should not be dismissed.

"It's not fair to say the average age of the team is high, because there are other sides whose average is skewed by a couple of teenagers, otherwise they are very similar to ours," Manna said.

He added that the club's longer-term recruitment plans had not been completed during the summer transfer window. Napoli therefore face the immediate task of improving results with their existing personnel before making further changes.

"Di Lorenzo is the captain, we cannot complain about him, Rrahmani, Politano and Lobotka. This squad is not at the end of the road, we knew that the idea was to bring in younger players, we were unable to do it this summer, but that is a further step for the next session," Manna said.

The sporting director concluded his assessment by emphasizing the need for discipline and results rather than further public debate.

"We have to grit our teeth and work, without listening to what people say, without talking too much, just getting those results," Manna said.

Allegri has also acknowledged the urgency of Napoli's situation. The False 9 reported that he spoke with De Laurentiis on October 19 and stressed that results, rather than discussions, would determine whether the club could recover from its poor opening weeks.

"Words count for little. What we need are results," Allegri said.

The coach identified Bodo Glimt's ability to recover possession and attack quickly as a potential threat. The Norwegian side entered the fixture with three Champions League points after defeating Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at home, while Napoli had lost 1-0 to Arsenal and 3-1 to Villarreal.

"They're dangerous when they win the ball back, so it will take a big performance," Allegri said.

Napoli's attacking output has also been inconsistent. According to The False 9, the team scored 10 goals in seven Serie A matches and one goal across its first two Champions League games. Rasmus Hojlund's return offered a potential boost, although the club continued to deal with injuries and uncertainty over its attacking combinations.

Allegri has defended rotating his lineup amid a demanding schedule that includes nine matches in one month. The club also confirmed that Alisson Santos suffered a medium-grade hamstring injury late in the Venezia match, according to reporting cited by The False 9.

"We can't play the same eleven all season," Allegri said.

The coach maintained that Napoli could still improve their European campaign, but acknowledged the significance of the next match. A victory would provide a confidence boost after the team's consecutive defeats, according to comments reported by LaPresse.

"We have to think and believe in doing something good in the Champions League. It's an important match, and a good victory would give us an injection of confidence," Allegri said.

Reporting by Goal, citing Repubblica, also indicated that Allegri had sought four reinforcements for January while stressing that the current players deserved the club's support. The report said his immediate priority remained restoring Napoli's results before the winter transfer window.

"All the players at my disposal were considered good enough to be part of Napoli by the club in the summer. They have my respect and must be defended, not criticised so harshly. Especially as the transfer window is now closed and we certainly can't change ten of them..." Allegri said, as quoted by Repubblica.

Repubblica interpreted those remarks as a sign that the coach had privately assessed the squad's limitations and requested four additions for January. The report also said another disappointing result against Bodo Glimt could lead to disciplinary measures, including a training camp before Saturday's league match against Roma.

"These are cryptic words, and only by interpreting them can one infer the true thoughts of the Livorno-born manager, who has finally made his own assessments of the team since July and, not by chance, has asked De Laurentiis for four reinforcements in January," Repubblica reported.

The two matches carry significant consequences for Napoli's season. Roma were third with 17 points in the standings reported by The False 9, seven ahead of Napoli, making Saturday's encounter another opportunity for Allegri's team to narrow the gap.

Meanwhile, Juventus have experienced their own difficult start under Luciano Spalletti. CBS Sports reported that Juventus lost 3-0 at home to Lazio and had collected 11 points from their first seven league matches. Spalletti criticized his team's intensity and commitment after the defeat.

"A side lacking rhythm, ideas, intensity, and commitment. There were far too many attitudes and behaviours that I didn't like," Spalletti said, according to DAZN.

Although both Italian clubs face pressure after disappointing results, Napoli's immediate focus remains the home meeting with Bodo Glimt, followed by the league fixture against Roma on October 24, 2026.