President hints at Donadoni sack

Donadoni: Under pressure

Related links

Teams

• Napoli

Also see

• Watch on your PC
• Serie A fixtures
• Serie A stats

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has refused to say whether coach Roberto Donadoni will still be in his job after the international break.

Donadoni has been under increasing pressure after an indifferent start to the Serie A campaign, including Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Roma.

This defeat means Donadoni's side sit in 15th in SerieA, with just seven points from their opening seven games, including four losses.

While De Laurentiis praised Donadoni's attributes, he refused to say whether he would still have a job in two week's time after the international break.

The film producer said: "Donadoni has had a wonderful experience and he is an adorable person. He remains an important figure in my football experience, regardless of what will happen tomorrow, the next day or the next month.

Remain impressed

"He gave Napoli what he could, is continuing to do so, and has always done his best. I remain impressed by him.

"I make decisions for the good of the club and never in a moment of rage. All of us can make mistakes and the great thing about football is everyone has their own truth.

"I gave myself a couple of months to go to America and work on my films, but I never thought I'd have to run back so quickly to take care of things.

"From now on I will have a more hands-on approach to running this club and will do so with collaborators who work in the De Laurentiis style."

When asked specifically if Donadoni would still be on the bench when Serie A returns in a fortnight, De Laurentiis remained tight-lipped.

"Goodbye," he said.

Donadoni positive

Donadoni himself is remaining positive and focused on his job.

He said: "I can only do my work and try to keep the squad united. The rest is a problem that does not concern us. We cannot change our fate off the field, those decisions are made by others.

"I spoke to the President today and I know what we discussed. As long as I am on the Napoli bench I will continue to give my best, work hard and try to make this a successful project.

"We need to be as optimistic as possible and keep looking forward. We could've had more points, we could've had less. We don't have them, so there's no reason to consider any alternatives."