Massimiliano Allegri Speaks to Napoli President as Pressure Mounts Ahead of Bodo/Glimt Clash

Napoli boss Massimiliano Allegri says he has spoken to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis as he fights to save his job, with a Champions League game against Bodo/Glimt coming up.

The pressure has built after a 1-0 defeat to Venezia, which fuelled talk about his future. Allegri told Sky Sport Italia he was in touch with De Laurentiis again on the morning of his news conference, but he was not interested in debating it. 

"I spoke to him this morning too. I believe words are of little use; we need to get out there and get results. The rest is just idle talk," he said.

He wants his players to look ahead. "We have to focus on tomorrow night. The Champions League is here, and it's an important match, especially for moving up the table. A win would give us a boost of confidence, and then on Saturday we'll face Roma, who are currently doing very well in the league."

Napoli conceded against Venezia from the opposition's only real attack, and the leaky defence is the main worry. 

"If we look at the performances, there have also been good performances, the problem is that we concede goals too easily. But the boys know this too and therefore we need to do something more," Allegri admitted.

The former Juventus coach also refused to write off players who are struggling, pointing to a heavy schedule. 

"It's not that if someone doesn't perform well in one match, they've lost their quality. There's another problem, which is a given: we have nine games in a month and then another nine the following month. I believe all the players are capable of contributing with their characteristics and qualities. Right now, some aren't performing as well, but maybe they'll improve again. There's confidence in everyone because you can't imagine going through a season with only 11 players."