Rafa Benitez was given the ultimate birthday present as Wolfsburg succumbed to a 4-1 drubbing by Napoli in the Europa League

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Cavani Napoli days tribute

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Higuain helps Napoli to win Supercoppa

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Napoli scoff at Arsenal's Insigne interest

Clubs are always looking to drive a hard bargain, but it seems Arsenal have pushed their luck already this summer.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has scoffed at the Gunners’ supposed interest in Italy winger Lorenzo Insigne and suggested there is no chance of signing the 23-year-old for a cut-price fee.

“Arsenal offer 20 million for Insigne? This makes me laugh. I want to make Insigne rise to a value of 60-70 million,” De Laurentiis told Repubblica.

Monday, 9 June 2014 12:00

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Higuain eyes Maradona's crown

Gonzalo Higuain has set himself quite the task.

In similar fashion to Diego Maradona, the 26-year-old forward wants to help guide Argentina to the World Cup in Brazil before inspiring Napoli to the Serie A title.

"This is an important moment for me and for my career," Higuain told La Gazetta dello Sport.

"I want to do what Maradona did: first win the World Cup and then the Scudetto. He triumphed in Mexico with Argentina in 1986 and, a year later, he made Napoli go crazy.

"If I could do this it would really be the ultimate dream. I want to stay in Naples for a long time - here I'm going to be a king."

No pressure, Gonzalo.

Thursday, February 13, 2014 12:00

New version of the cartoon without Rafa

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Footballers enjoy the boom after €1.2bn bonanza

This week at Goal we've been running through the 10 biggest transfer deals of the year, and giving you the inside track on how each was completed.

After massive transfer fees, bumpers wages, taxes and agent fees are totted up the sums are truly staggering: Gareth Bale's move will cost Real Madrid €198.8m!

With so much money flying around, no wonder the players have been enjoying themselves!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 07:00

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Higuain in tears as Napoli miss out on last 16

Napoli agonisingly missed out on a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Despite beating Arsenal 2-0 with goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon, the Italian side were eliminated after Borussia Dortmund defeated Marseille, meaning the Bundesliga outfit progressed top of Group F, with the Gunners finishing second by virtue of a superior goal difference.

And it was all too much for goal scorer Higuain, who could not hide is disappointment after the game.

"Not going through is incredible," he said. "It is an injustice, really.

"Going out with 12 points – winning four games in such an immensely difficult group with two sides as strong as Arsenal and Dortmund - when you see teams going through with only one or two wins, with six or seven points, it's disappointing.

"It cannot be anything else but bad luck because to win four games out of six and be eliminated is not something that happens often."

Thursday, December 12, 2013 12:00

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Klopp, Wenger & Benitez struggle with Group of Death permutations

The final round of group fixtures in Champions League Group F sees Arsenal, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund all still in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Arsene Wenger’s men lead the way with 12 points following their 2-0 defeat of Marseille and travel to Italy in their final game to take on Rafael Benitez’s Napoli.

Dortmund lie second on nine points, and face Marseille, yet to score a single point, in their fixture making them heavy favourites to progress.

Yet Napoli also have nine points and know that a three-goal victory over Arsenal will also send them through with a nerve-jangling night of action in prospect.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 09:29

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Ghost buster: Wenger hopes to avoid being haunted by Napoli

Arsenal take on Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday with manager Arsene Wenger set to face Gonzalo Higuain, a man he tried, and failed, to sign in the summer transfer window.

The Argentine striker, is not the only familiar face for the Gunners as Rafael Benitez brings his Serie A side to the Emirates Stadium, including goalkeeper Pepe Reina another one-time transfer target of the Gunners.

Wenger's men go into the game in confident mood, two points clear at the top of the early Premier League table, but will be hoping the ones that got away do not return to haunt his men.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013 11:46

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De Laurentiis the ambulance chaser

Calling all ambulance drivers - watch your back, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is on the loose!

The Partenopei chief is demanding a whopping £86 million in compensation after star striker Gonzalo Higuain suffered cuts to his face after diving from a hired boat and landing on submerged rocks.

De Laurentiis was far from pleased with the medical attention received by the Argentina international but, despite potentially having enough spare cash to buy Gareth Bale, he plans to donate the money to charity.

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Benzema the latest to escape Wenger's paws

It's fair to say Arsene Wenger has had a tough time of it in the transfer market this summer. After Gonzalo Higuain got away as Arsenal turned their attentions to Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan himself proved to be off limits!

There appeared to be some light at the end of the tunnel, though, when it emerged that Karim Benzema was next on Wenger's hitlist. But now the Frenchman will not be coming either, it remains to be seen if the Gunners boss has the energy to carry on transfer hunting.

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Wenger turns to Suarez as Napoli welcome Higuain

 

Gonzalo Higuain is on the move from Real Madrid this summer - but not to his previously expected destination.

Arsenal tracked the striker this summer and were in advanced negotiations to take the Argentina international to north London.

But Napoli have used funds raised by the sale of Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain to sign the 25-year-old.

So, while Rafa Benitez welcomes Higuain to Naples, Arsene Wenger turns his attention to Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who will cost a great deal more to prise away from Anfield.
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Ibrahimovic rejects Paris romance with Cavani

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s love affair with PSG is set to come to an end, due to the arrival of Edinson Cavani, according to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Cavani is expected to complete a mega-money move to the French capital imminently, a transfer that has not gone down well with the Sweden international.

De Laurentiis claims Ibrahimovic will say au revoir to Paris as he “will not play with Cavani” and has been promised a transfer by the French champions. 
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De Laurentiis warns Cavani over leaving Napoli 'cradle'

 

Edinson Cavani is a transfer target for some of Europe's biggest clubs this summer, but Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is not convinced the striker should leave the club.

Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City all want the Uruguay international, though none of the interested parties are yet to activate his £53.7 million release clause.

And De Laurentiis has warned the 26-year-old against leaving Napoli for a club where he may not take centre stage.

"Napoli is a true cradle for Cavani, allowing his inner child to express himself and fulfill his potential," De Laurentiis said at a press conference.

"He knows that he is the star of the show here at Napoli and you never know whether this will also be the case at Real Madrid or anywhere else.

"We have already seen how [Diego] Forlan and [Luis] Suarez have outshone him for Uruguay and how this has affected his goalscoring record.

"I have little doubt that he will take all of this into consideration before making a decision. He will make a decision on his future and we will follow his direction." 

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Wenger baulks at lofty Cavani price tag

 

Arsene Wenger has faced heavy criticism over his reluctance to spend money on new signings at Arsenal, and even his compliment towards Napoli forward Edinson Cavani was laced with his own financial conscience.

"Cavani is a player that I like," Wenger confessed in Thursday's press conference before quickly adding: "What is for sure is that he costs a lot of money."

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed that a bid of €55 million [£46m] for the striker has previously been rejected - will Wenger try his luck? Er... don't bank on it.

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Italy's big guns look to cherry-pick Balotelli

 

The January transfer window is open, and it appears the clamour for Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has started in Italy.

Napoli are the latest club to express an interest in the Italy international, with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis dreaming of partnering the forward with Edinson Cavani, who has also welcomed a move for the 22-year-old.

Inter, meanwhile, claim to have first refusal for their former striker, and will exercise the right to bid if Manchester City choose to sell.

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi may have described Balotelli as a "rotten apple," recently, but there is no shortage of suitors aiming to cherry-pick the Italy international.
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Shock Juventus defeat blows Serie A title race wide open

 

Robinho's penalty on Sunday evening secured a 1-0 victory for AC Milan over reigning champions Juventus to blow the Serie A title race wide open.

The Bianconeri still lead by four points ahead of second-placed Fiorentina, but both Inter and Napoli have a game in hand and could begin to make life difficult for Antonio Conte's side.

Earlier this month, Juve saw their 49-game unbeaten streak in Serie A end after a 3-1 defeat at home to Inter. Is November the start of a shift in power among Italy's elite?
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Juve in disarray as Conte faces 10 months off the sidelines

 

While Juventus duo Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Pepe were acquitted in the Scommessopoli scandal on Friday due to a lack of evidence, there was bad news for coach Antonio Conte.
The 43-year-old was found guilty of failing to report attempts to influence the outcome of two Serie B matches while he was at Siena, and has been handed a 10-month ban from the dugout.

Without their coach for the first time against Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana on Saturday, and with uncertainty over who will take charge after assistant Angelo Alessio's eight-month suspension, how will the Serie A champions fare?
 

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Arrivederci Del Piero

 

Sunday's Coppa Italia final marked the end of Alessandro Del Piero's 19-year stay with Italian giants Juventus.

The 37-year-old bowed out following his side's 2-0 loss to Napoli, a defeat which will do little to mar a remarkable career with the Old Lady and the Italian national team.
Six Serie A titles, one Champions League victory and a World Cup win mean that Del Piero will always enjoy the respect of his peers, whatever his next move.
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Chelsea come back from the dead

 

Since taking over at Chelsea on an interim basis, Roberto Di Matteo has lead the Blues to a three-match winning streak, including a miraculous comeback victory against Napoli in the Champions League to make the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition.
The Italian coach's faith in the club's old guard seems to be paying dividends, as goalscorers Didier Drogba, skipper John Terry and Frank Lampard all showed they are not dead yet on Wednesday night, whilst Napoli star trio Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik appeared to let the occasion get to their heads.

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