'Destroys our players' - Napoli president calls for radical Serie A reform after Italy suffer more World Cup heartbreak

In the wake of Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, De Laurentiis has called for an overhaul of the Italian top flight. The Napoli chief argues that the sheer volume of fixtures is leaving elite talent exhausted and depriving the national team of vital preparation time.

Speaking to Radio CRC following the Azzurri's dramatic playoff final defeat at the hands of Bosnia and Herzegovina, De Laurentiis voiced his long-standing frustrations. "My sentiment has been clear for ten years. It just makes me smile," he said. "We’ve always said that too many games have been played, and this destroys our players."

The Partenopei president believes that reducing the league's size is the only way to modernize the game. He insists that the current 20-team format is unsustainable, especially when coupled with lucrative but draining mid-season trips abroad for domestic silverware. "Today, we still want to have 20 teams [in Serie A], but if we return to 16 teams and abolish the Supercup played in Saudi Arabia, we’d rest our players, who are a heritage we pay for, and we’d have time to let the national team train," De Laurentiis explained. "We should start thinking: is the tactical approach that Italian football prides itself on really conducive to achieving against other nations? Sixteen teams, fewer matches, more time to train the national team.”

Beyond the league structure, the Napoli owner is also pushing for a change in how international breaks are managed. He argues that clubs, who bear the financial burden of player wages, should be better protected when they release their stars for duty with the FIGC. "Compensating clubs for players called up to the national team and full insurance coverage in case of injury - in my view, that’s the restart we need," he added.

While FIGC President Gabriele Gravina has resisted calls to resign, De Laurentiis appears ready for a change in leadership. He has thrown his significant weight behind former president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) Giovanni Malago as the man to lead the federation out of its current crisis.

"Someone like Malago, who is used to always doing his best because he’s a great professional and has always shown it, is someone who can contribute rather than take, and he also has a certain humanity," the Napoli boss concluded. "If we were to restart with him tomorrow morning, I believe we would be strong again within a couple of years."

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