Coach Massimiliano Allegri has announced that Lorenzo Lucca, a Napoli striker who has not played as a starter for almost a year, will be on the pitch for the entire match against Venezia, starting from the first minute. The striker, who made his last full appearance on 28 October 2025 against Lecce, has not scored in Serie A since 6 February, when he scored against Pisa, and has accumulated 390 days without a goal. Napoli have invested a total of 35 million euros in him, but so far they have only scored two goals since his arrival.
Coach Allegri has decided to give Lucca the opportunity to get back into the game, as Rasmus Hojlund, who has accumulated many hours of play, will be left to rest ahead of the next Champions League match against Bodø/Glimt. Lucca, which also showed good performances in Europe, had a good entry into Spain and had several favorable opportunities. Allegri underlined that the player has important qualities and that he can also contribute in terms of goals.
At the last meeting, Lucca was defended from criticism. The coach declared that "he was also criticized too much" and reiterated his trust in the attacker. He also highlighted the positive signals he received during the last European outing, underlining that Lucca showed good performances and had some favorable opportunities. Napoli therefore decided to give Lucca the chance to break their goal drought and try to change pace in the next match against Venezia.
Napoli invested 35 million euros in the attacker, but so far he has only scored two goals since his arrival. With Allegri's decision, Lucca could finally return to the field and demonstrate its value. The match against Venezia represents the right opportunity for him to show himself and contribute to the club's success.