More than the mysterious darkness, inherent in the oracular way in which it is expressed Luciano Spalletti, it is his hangdog expression that suggests the future liquidation that looms over the most beautiful achievement of Italian football, from the time when the semi-unknown Arrigo Sacchi liquidated with his stellar AC Milan the ball-loving paradigm and flee, barricades and counterattack; when world football had been evolving for some time towards courageous and unscrupulous game criteria.
It may be that the president Aurelio De Laurentiis and the coach wait for the end of the championship so as not to spoil the Scudetto party, before making official the reasons that shatter the formidable toy called Naples Football.
In the meantime, we can try to understand the “secret” dynamics by referring to the biographies of the two duelists in a clash without apparent reasons. Certainly Spalletti’s proud and smoking character weighs heavily, but the first suspect of the crime remains the presidential arrogance, declined in management practices marked by capriciousness: ever since he drove away a gonzalo Higuain, mocking his alleged overweight while the striker was leading the club to the top with goals; when he risked killing the career of one of the world‘s top coaches – Charles Ancelotti – for the sake of mocking him.
Behaviors apparently incomprehensible, which can only be explained as the vulgar attempt to get rid of unpleasant competition in one’s sole appropriation of the merits in sporting achievements. Which frames an ineradicable mentality in such wealthy characters: the idea that whoever pays can arrogate himself the right to dominate. Therefore, the mental habit of the so-called “master of the ironworks”; the archaic idea that constantly recurs in those who assume that money doesn’t just pay for a service, it buys the soul of the service provider. As in the immortal quip of the true ringleader of this domineering breed – Silvio Berlusconi – that when the dean of Italian journalists Indro Montanelli did not want to follow him in the Forza Italia adventure, he was dismissed with arrogance: “he spits in the plate where he ate”. As proof of the deep-rooted belief that an employment relationship presupposes the immediate assumption of the servile condition by the employee. In spite of the consultative chatter on the first competitive advantage of a company represented by its human resources (ignoble hypocrisy, accompanied by up-to-date that the first objective of a good manager – as a “chief happiness officer” – is to promote the happiness of his collaborators. The so-called “healing organization”).
Returning to the football theme, the damage caused by the bosses’ instrumental-dictatorial mentality continues. Hence the petty Andrea Agnelli he took care to remove the too popular Alex Del Piero; a champion not only of football played but also of football culture, which could have prevented Juventus from turning into a cemetery of potential unexpressed talents. As happens abroad, where great players at the end of their careers are placed in strategic-managerial functions, in which to put all their practical knowledge at the service of the club: from Johan Cruijff of Barcelona, to Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in Bayer. Accepting that their charisma continues to produce effects over time. How much the narcissist Berlusconi was careful not to do with Paul Maldini, arguably one of world football’s greatest defenders of all time and certainly the greatest Italian, forced into exile for ten years. And only now can he demonstrate in the service of the corporate colors what he is: after the athlete, a formidable manager.
Ma these boss-presidents don’t care about the dissipations they produce. So De Laurentiis is happy to get rid of the cumbersome Spalletti. Even if at the cost of squandering the Scudetto capital, already jeopardized by the irresponsible strike of the so-called organized supporters, interested in imposing their dominion over the stadium on companies and the public through blackmail. How right he was last April Fabrizio d’Esposito to author his own article on the imminent championship victory of Napoli “The scudetto divided by lazzari and elite”.