Massimiliano Allegri’s tenure at Napoli began with a difficult 3-1 defeat against Arezzo in the club's opening pre-season match. Despite fielding a strong starting lineup that included Alex Meret, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Frank Anguissa, and Rasmus Hojlund, the team appeared heavy-legged throughout the contest.
Arezzo took an early lead in the 11th minute through a Cerri header. The Tuscan side extended their advantage just before the hour mark when Gilli found the net. Napoli managed to pull one back in the 60th minute via a Matteo Politano penalty, but Mavulli struck late in the game to confirm the comfortable victory for the opposition.
The match was further marred by a late injury to Lorenzo Lucca, who was forced off the pitch in the 85th minute. Napoli has officially confirmed that the player sustained a sprained right ankle. The club is currently awaiting further assessment to determine the severity of the injury. The timing of this setback is significant, as Napoli is monitoring the situation closely to see if it impacts ongoing transfer negotiations. While a short recovery would likely not deter potential suitors, a longer layoff could stall discussions, a factor that is reportedly being watched with interest by Fiorentina as they evaluate their own attacking needs.
In other pre-season action, Fiorentina enjoyed a winning start by defeating Gubbio 1-0. The decisive goal came from a first-half penalty converted by Albert Gudmundsson, following a foul on new signing Arthur Atta. The match also saw a debut for Oulaì after the break. While Moise Kean missed a couple of goal-scoring opportunities, the right-sided partnership between Dodo and Fortini provided a positive takeaway for the Viola.
