'Greats are buried by envy!' - Napoli president claims Jose Mourinho is victim of 'nasty' critics and insists 'Special One' would be treated better in United States

Napoli's hopes of securing automatic qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League suffered a significant blow this week as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Benfica. The result has complicated the Italian side's path to the last 16, forcing them into a precarious position heading into the final matchdays of the league phase. However, rather than criticising his own players or manager Conte, De Laurentiis chose to heap praise on the architect of his team's downfall.

Speaking at the Gazzetta dello Sport Awards, the Napoli president insisted that losing to a team managed by Mourinho should not be seen as a disaster. De Laurentiis has long been an admirer of the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, and he used the platform to fire back at pundits and fans who argue that the 62-year-old's powers are waning.

"We can't expect to win every game, also because Mourinho isn't simple to beat," De Laurentiis stated. "Who thinks he is finished says the usual nastiness that is poured against winners."

De Laurentiis went further, offering a cultural critique of how European football treats its aging legends compared to American sports. The film mogul, who spends significant time in the United States, believes there is a toxic culture of "envy" in Europe that seeks to tear down successful figures once they show signs of vulnerability.

He contrasted the treatment of Mourinho—who has faced intense scrutiny regarding his tactical approach and sideline antics in recent years - with the reverence shown to veteran coaches and athletes across the Atlantic.

"In America, the greats are held in the palm of a hand," De Laurentiis argued. "In Europe, they are buried by envy."

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After Benfica's Champions League win against the Italian club in midweek, a spiky exchange unfolded when Conte blamed his side's sluggish performance on a congested schedule, noting Benfica had played on Friday while Napoli played Sunday.

"Saying Benfica were fresher physically feels like an excuse," Mourinho responded bluntly. "We interpreted the game well, I decided to play [Franjo] Ivanovic rather than [Vangelis] Pavlidis upfront and that changed the way we attack."

While De Laurentiis was gracious in defeat, the reality on the pitch is stark for Napoli. The loss to Benfica means Conte's side have little margin for error in their remaining European fixtures. The Partenopei have underwhelmed in the competition this season, registering just two wins from six matches. That record leaves them 23rd in the table and in danger of falling out of the competition if they stumble in their final two matches against Copenhagen and Chelsea in January. Having seen their winning run come to an end at five games this week, Napoli must now regroup quickly as they return to Serie A duties with an away game against Udinese on Sunday. They are second in the table, sitting level on points with AC Milan, who have a slightly superior goal difference. Meanwhile, Inter sit just a point behind while Roma have dropped to four behind after losing two games in a row.

Benfica, meanwhile, are in an even more difficult position. A point worse off than Napoli, they sit just outside of the play-off places in the Champions League after a hopeless start in which they lost their first four matches. They cannot afford to slip up when they head to Italy to face Juventus in January before rounding off the round with a home game against Real Madrid. Their domestic situation could be better, too, as they trail Liga Portugal leaders Porto by eight points after 13 games.