Napoli have lodged an urgent appeal against the two-match suspension of coach Massimiliano Allegri, a decision which would also exclude him from the match against Juventus at the Stadium on Sunday. The episode arose after the defeat against Roma, when Allegri expressed himself in an "insulting" and "disrespectful" manner towards the match officials and an opposing manager, behavior which led to the two-match disqualification. The Sports Judge's note also mentions that the aggressive attitude was detected by the fourth official, the race director and the federal prosecutor's office.
The appeal was filed immediately after the decisions were made official by the Lega Serie A, in view of the midweek round. Napoli hopes to obtain at least a one-match reduction in the ban, so as to allow Allegri to participate in the match against Juventus. If the appeal fails, historic deputy Marco Landucci will have to lead the team in tomorrow's match against Monza, while Allegri will find himself watching from above.
Allegri's suspension represents the first seasonal ban for the coach, who led Napoli in 99 matches, including a brilliant match against Roma. Monza, a team that has already faced Napoli in the league and in the Italian Cup, has a history of meetings against the Neapolitan club with an average of seven defeats and three victories. If Landucci were to lead the team, it will be his debut on the Napoli bench, with the possibility of seeing the team in action from the central box.
Napoli also announced that, in view of the match against Monza, the coach will speak in a press conference before the match and could return to the topic of the disqualification. If the appeal is accepted, Allegri will be able to return to lead the team also in the match against Juventus, while if the appeal fails, the two-match suspension will remain valid and Napoli will have to face Monza without their coach.