Former Napoli Mayor: McTominay's Absence Is Concerning; Arsenal Clash Is Important for Morale

Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli have made a poor start, with two defeats and one win in their first three Serie A matches. The team will make their Champions League debut tonight against Arsenal. Former Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris spoke in an interview about the team's current situation.

Slow start

The former Naples mayor said: “It is still too early to say that we are facing a disappointing situation, but taking just 3 points from three matches is certainly a negative statistic. So, in terms of points, the start has definitely not been good, and there are also some problems with the way they have played. Napoli had chances to win against Inter Milan and Como, but there are also some worrying signs. All the other contenders strengthened their squads, while the Partenopei did not.”

Need for McTominay

McTominay has been absent after undergoing ablation surgery for benign arrhythmia, which has also caused some concern. De Magistris said: “Yes, I am very concerned because he is a decisive player for Napoli. So his absence is worrying, and the uncertainty over his contract renewal is also worrying, including some of his statements. Of course, we hope that everything will move in a positive direction.”

Napoli will also face Arsenal tonight: “This match is especially important for morale, because it is possible that they could lose to Arsenal. However, Napoli will still try to win because this team has the ability to compete with any opponent in Europe. If they lose, it could affect morale, but it is too early to talk about that now. We also have to consider the difficult run of fixtures that follows.”