Porto call off pre-match lunch with Napoli after authorities summon their board
Porto formally told Napoli on Monday 2 November that the traditional meeting would not go ahead. Napoli want it known that their own executives have travelled to Portugal.
The traditional lunch between the two boards before Porto-Napoli did not take place, and it was Porto who called it off. Their representatives were summoned by the Portuguese authorities to a meeting that had not originally been planned. Porto formally informed Napoli on Monday 2 November.
Napoli are keen to point out that their executives are there. Aurelio De Laurentiis, Edoardo De Laurentiis, Andrea Chiavelli and Tommaso Bianchini have not travelled. However, the president, the chief executive and the head of the business area are very rarely seen at Champions League away games. The only real absence is vice-president Edoardo De Laurentiis, who usually follows the team everywhere and stayed at home for family reasons. As always, sporting director Giovanni Manna, Davide Iorio, Erinda Gorenca and Nicola Lombardo are with the squad.
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Three days after the 2-0 in Turin, even a cancelled lunch has to be denied, and that says a lot about the mood around the club. But the fans' real worry is not who sat at which table. It is a team that kicks off at the Dragão at 21:00 CET (20:00 UK, 15:00 ET) on Wednesday 4 November with ten players unavailable and no recognised full-back.
Source: Il Napolista
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