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Napoli to Sign African Players Only if They Sign AFCON Waiver, Owner Says

Napoli’s forward Lorenzo Insigne (2-L) reacts next to Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis (C) ahead his last home match with Napoli before the Italian Serie A match SSC Napoli vs Genoa CFC at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, 15 May 2022. (EPA)
Napoli’s forward Lorenzo Insigne (2-L) reacts next to Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis (C) ahead his last home match with Napoli before the Italian Serie A match SSC Napoli vs Genoa CFC at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, 15 May 2022. (EPA)
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Napoli to Sign African Players Only if They Sign AFCON Waiver, Owner Says

Napoli’s forward Lorenzo Insigne (2-L) reacts next to Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis (C) ahead his last home match with Napoli before the Italian Serie A match SSC Napoli vs Genoa CFC at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, 15 May 2022. (EPA)
Napoli’s forward Lorenzo Insigne (2-L) reacts next to Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis (C) ahead his last home match with Napoli before the Italian Serie A match SSC Napoli vs Genoa CFC at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, 15 May 2022. (EPA)

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis said on Tuesday he would not sign African players any longer unless they agreed to not take part in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly - now at Premier League side Chelsea - and Cameroon midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa missed several Napoli games while on international duty at this year's AFCON, which took place between January and February.

"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," he said in a Wall Street Italia talk show.

He criticized the fact that clubs were agreeing to more and more games, suggesting a European tournament with the top clubs from the strongest five countries instead of the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

"The world of football cannot self manage because we do the puppet show for others ... if we could play 100 games, it would be a happy ending for everyone and we (clubs) like cretins agree to that."

The Italian film producer also said he did not support the breakaway European Super League which folded less than 48 hours after it was announced last year as it was an elite club.

"You cannot create a super club of privileged members who invite others (to the league). You need to democratically keep the door open for everyone," he said.

He added he was tired of offers from investment funds for the club, adding that he was offered 900 million euros around four to five years ago by American investors.

"You (bidders) did not understand a thing (about me). I am a pure entrepreneur who enjoys doing business ... let me play," he said.

"I want to be the 12th player on the pitch. Actually the 12th player is the fan, I can be the 13th or even the 14th, as 14 is my favorite number."

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Sinner, Alcaraz Headline ATP Finals with Djokovic Out

05 November 2024, Italy, Giaveno: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a training session, ahead of Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament. Photo: Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
05 November 2024, Italy, Giaveno: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a training session, ahead of Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament. Photo: Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
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Sinner, Alcaraz Headline ATP Finals with Djokovic Out

05 November 2024, Italy, Giaveno: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a training session, ahead of Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament. Photo: Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
05 November 2024, Italy, Giaveno: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a training session, ahead of Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament. Photo: Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to add another entry into their rapidly developing rivalry when the ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
The top-ranked Sinner and No. 3 Alcaraz evenly split the year’s Grand Slam titles between them with two apiece and it would be fitting if the pair meet again in Turin, The Associated Press reported.
And since Alcaraz was overtaken by Alexander Zverev in the rankings this week, the Spaniard could be placed in the same round-robin group as Sinner.
The draw for the eight-man event is scheduled for later Thursday.
After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.
The other qualifiers are: Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev.
The big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury.
Not since 2001 has the finals been held without at least one of Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. This season also was the first since 2002 without at least one Grand Slam title for a member of that trio.
Djokovic has won the ATP Finals a record seven times. He beat Sinner for the title last year.
Federer, who announced his retirement in 2022, won the event six times after making his debut in 2002; Nadal, who is retiring after playing in the Davis Cup the week after finals, was the runner-up twice at the finals but never won it.
Sinner withdrew from last week’s Paris Masters due to a virus and showed up early in Turin for training.
“This is for me the main event of the end of the year,” Sinner said.
As an Italian, Sinner will be the main focus of attention in Turin.
It’s the first time that Sinner will be playing at home since it was announced before his US Open title that he had tested positive in two separate drug tests earlier in the year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a final ruling on the case early next year.
Sinner opened this year by winning the Australian Open to become the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in nearly a half-century — since Adriano Panatta raised the French Open trophy in 1976.
Alcaraz then claimed the French Open and Wimbledon titles to raise his career total to four Grand Slams.
Sinner responded by winning the US Open.
Alcaraz won all three official meetings with Sinner this year and holds a 6-4 advantage in their career head-to-head rivalry. Last month, Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
Zverev won in Paris last week and looks for a 3rd title at finals The only two players in the field to have won the finals are Zverev and Medvedev.
Zverev won in London in 2018 and in Turin in 2021; while Medvedev triumphed in 2020 — the final year the event was held in London.
Zverev enters in solid form coming off a title at the Paris Masters.
Fritz is looking to add another big result after his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open; Ruud was a finalist in 2022; De Minaur is making his tournament debut; and Rublev is making his fifth straight appearance.
Biggest prize money on the men’s tour: $4.8 million If a player wins all five of his matches en route to the trophy, he will earn $4.8 million — the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour.
That’s significantly more than what Sinner and Alcaraz earned for their victories at the US Open ($3.6 million) and Wimbledon (2.7 million pounds or $3.45 million) this year.