Napoli city council clashes with De Laurentiis: accuses us of being fools

City councillors in Naples have launched a criticism against Aurelio De Laurentiis, the president of Napoli football club.

Luigi Carbone, a city councillor in Naples, voiced his disapproval of De Laurentiis through social media.

Carbone stated, “Dear Santa Claus, this year I would like a more professional president for my football team. This morning we found a gift, De Laurentiis sends us the Napoli shirt with the number 23, as always he manages to be out of place, 23 means something else around here, it is certainly not the year of the championship victory. Should we laugh? Unfortunately, no. Learn to stay in your place, we are not friends at the bar. We know this game well, 23 means stupid, but no one here is fooled, you want to buy the stadium for a few pennies for your interests.”

He went on to claim that being a true Neapolitan entails a sense of respectability, seemingly implying that De Laurentiis is lacking in this regard.

The number 23 is thought by some to signify ‘fool’ in certain contexts within Naples, a symbol Carbone feels De Laurentiis is associating with the team inappropriately. Carbone’s frustrations stem in part from the opinions that De Laurentiis is not acting in the best interests of the club, coupled with concerns about his commitment to Neapolitan values.