Napoli have announced that they will appeal against the disqualification of Massimiliano Allegri, which was imposed on him by the Sports Judge with a two-match ban and a fine of 10,000 euros. The decision, which will exclude him from the match against Juventus, was taken following statements made in the locker room during the Napoli-Roma match at Maradona. The club stated that it did not accept the measure and would immediately lodge an appeal with the Sports Court of Appeal, with the aim of canceling the sanction before the derby match.
The provision is also based on the report of the inspectors of the Federal Prosecutor's Office, led by the prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné, who collected the testimonies of the spectators present at Maradona. According to the judgement, the sentences uttered by Allegri, including the famous "They gave him the Champions League in his pocket and I paid with Milan", were considered "risky" and potentially subject to sanctions pursuant to article 23 of the Sports Justice Code. However, the Federal Prosecutor's Office had to evaluate whether the statements were actually heard by the inspectors or whether they were just reported by third parties.
The Neapolitan club reiterated that it never dissociated itself from Allegri's words and that the sanction was not applied correctly. In particular, Napoli claims that the fine should not be applied to the club, since the sentences were not heard by the inspectors, but were subsequently spread by the media and social networks. The Federal Prosecutor's Office, for its part, is still examining the file to decide whether to open disciplinary proceedings against the club and the coach.
Napoli's appeal will be examined shortly by the Sports Court of Appeal, while the Federal Prosecutor's Office will continue to evaluate the issue. If the appeal is successful, Allegri could return to the pitch for the match against Juventus, otherwise the disqualification will remain valid and the club will have to play the match without its coach. Serie A fans will closely follow the developments of this matter, which could have important repercussions on the championship and future disciplinary decisions.