Napoli fans have been left furious and are set to stage a boycott after the Serie A champions released just 380 tickets for their upcoming clash against Fiorentina.
Why Are Napoli Fans Going To Boycott Fiorentina Match?
Antonio Conte’s side are looking to make it three wins from three in Serie A on September 13th after beating Sassuolo and Cagliari, but face a tough test against Fiorentina.
However, the battle on the pitch is not the only thing that has caught headlines in recent days, as Napoli supporters are set to boycott the Serie A encounter due to ticket sales.
Fiorentina’s home ground is currently under construction, which has effected the number of available sections for supporters and lowered the maximum capacity considerably.
This, alongside growing concerns over the growing conflict between Napoli and Fiorentina supporters, meant that tickets were not available for people living in and around Naples.
Eventually this decision was over-turned and Napoli supporters were allowed to purchase tickets for the match – but there were only 380 which did not go down well with fans.
Napoli’s ultra groups, known as Curva A and B, have revealed that they will be boycotting the match because of the mistreatment from owners and the ‘lottery’ of obtaining tickets.
Fans may be gutted to miss the clash against Fiorentina, as Antonio Conte is set to hand a Serie A debut to Rasmus Hojlund, but the ultra groups believe this is an issue that cannot be avoided.
A spokesperson from Napoli’s ultra group said: “With 72 hours to go before the trip to Florence, the decision comes to open up a sector to residents of Campania. However, the confirmation is that only 380 tickets are available.
“We find it unacceptable to participate in what will effectively be a lottery system, which risks penalising the vast majority of fans who want to honour the match in Florence.
“We are tired of decisions that change on a whim and are discriminatory towards the ultras movement. We are also struck by the complicit silence of SSC Napoli, who continue to be a winning model on the pitch, but has not yet learned to reserve the right consideration towards its ‘primary clients.’
“A successful marketing model ought to guarantee the best ‘clients’ an opportunity to always be present, without participating in a lottery with people who might for the first time find themselves in an away section of a stadium.
“So we tell the authorities in charge of security not to worry: with these conditions, we are the ones who decide not to be present in Florence, for our groups, and for our own dignity!”
Who Owns Napoli?
Napoli have seen a huge rise in recent years, winning two Serie A titles in the last three seasons and becoming a consistent member of the UEFA Champions League.
Despite this success on the field, it’s clear to see that supporters are not best pleased with the actions and decisions being made away from the grass.
Club owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has divided opinion since he purchased Napoli back in 2004, after the Italian side were forced to go into bankruptcy.
Fans have been pleasantly surprised with the clubs’ activity in recent transfer windows and Antonio Conte’s side were the fourth-highest spenders in Serie A this summer.
However, the 76-year-old has also faced a lot of criticism for increasing ticket sales in recent seasons, selling star players as soon as possible to make the most profit instead of building around them and focusing on supporters with a high socio-economic background.
One of the biggest fallout between Napoli and De Laurentiis came in November 2019, as the Italian owner wanted the players to attend a training retreat after a run of poor results – but the squad refused.
The squad staged a boycott of their own for training, as De Laurentiis threatened them with heavy fines and supporters were left furious with both the squad and owner.
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