Di Canio: “Allegri have a Napoli exhausted by Conte. Does Leao have to enjoy himself on the pitch? Come off it”

The former striker talks about the protagonists of Serie A

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MIL

Serie A

31 Oct 2026

15:45

INT

JUV

Serie A

01 Nov 2026

14:45

NAP

Paolo Di Canio, former striker and current pundit for Sky, spoke to the Corriere della Sera about the big sides in Serie A and several individual players, with less than two weeks to go before the season starts.

Leao and AC Milan

"We keep asking ourselves why he has four good games and then stops. There is constant talk about whether he stays or leaves. He has gone from one manager to another and always has the same attitude. Amorim says he has to enjoy himself. But let’s stop that, who enjoys themselves on the pitch? You sweat, you work, you run and above all you sacrifice yourself. If you win you can celebrate, but enjoyment is something else. Football is a job, not two or three hours a day training. It is a culture made up of many things, first and foremost a club that is good at setting rules and making sure they are respected. Football is not a world apart, and money has nothing to do with it."

Amorim

"He is certainly among the best emerging coaches but he will have a lot to do. His attitude last year at Manchester United struck me. Right from the off, for disciplinary reasons, he left Rashford out of the squad. He wanted to play the tough guy, he set himself against a club with an important history. Then he left out Mainoo too, I did not find it right. Now he says Leao has to enjoy himself... I do not understand. Are music and fashion shows included?"

The pecking order
"Inter are out in front, then Juventus and Napoli, and after them AC Milan and Roma."
INTER
"They know exactly what they are, and the team are strong. Inter’s strength is the club: clear roles, everyone does their job with the responsibilities that belong to them. Chivu starts as the favourite also because the big clubs have changed manager, so they need to find the right balance. He already has it."
Allegri and Napoli
"He takes over a team worn down by Conte’s methods, he knows how to manage, he is open to discussion. He works without shouting. Something is still missing for the double challenge."
Como
"Fabregas plays demanding football: verticality, possession. The Champions League drains energy, and it is a first for him too. Playing the first eight (for qualification) is a good test. Something new for everyone."
Spalletti
"He has found his feet, now he is also a leading figure in the transfer market. He starts as Inter’s main challenger, like Napoli."
Mancini as Italy head coach
"I spoke in his favour long before anyone else. He knows how to win. I was annoyed to hear talk of high treason - come on, are we joking? In our country people call for rehabilitation for robbers and murderers, and then Mancini cannot be rehabilitated because he went to Saudi Arabia? The point is another: I no longer hear talk of a sense of belonging. Against Bosnia it was supposed to be the match of our lives, we went there just to punch the clock."

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