Lukaku rift forming at Napoli as media highlight similarities between Man Utd experience

NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Romelu Lukaku of SSC Napoli reacts after lacking a penalty within the penalty shootout through the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photograph by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photographs)

A possible disaster is brewing at Napoli after Romelu Lukaku did not return to the membership following the worldwide break with Belgium, opening what La Gazzetta dello Sport describes as a rising rift between the Belgian striker and the membership.

For these with lengthy reminiscences, the state of affairs carries uncomfortable echoes of earlier episodes in Lukaku’s turbulent profession, and Gazzetta has drawn the comparability explicitly, by way of CalcioNapoli, highlighting a sample of behaviour that has surfaced at a number of golf equipment through the years.

Probably the most hanging parallel is along with his departure from Manchester United in 2019.

Lukaku had been so decided to hitch Antonio Conte’s Inter that he engineered a dramatic exit from Previous Trafford, making no secret of his need to work with the Salento-born coach whom he has lengthy thought to be a father determine.

That partnership delivered the Serie A title in 2020-21, albeit within the eerie silence of stadiums emptied by the Covid pandemic.

Lukaku & Conte relationship tense at Napoli

Now, with Conte as soon as once more his supervisor, this time at Napoli, the connection that has outlined Lukaku’s profession seems to be beneath pressure for the primary time.

The Belgian’s choice to stay remoted in his homeland reasonably than report again to the membership is being interpreted as a big sign, significantly provided that switch home windows are approaching and Lukaku has traditionally timed his intervals of withdrawal to coincide with contract uncertainty.

Gazzetta’s verdict is blunt, Lukaku is a participant able to forming intense bonds with golf equipment and managers earlier than abruptly reversing course when new alternatives come up.

Whether or not Conte can clean issues over with certainly one of his most trusted attacking weapons stays to be seen, however the state of affairs is one Napoli might want to resolve shortly with the season getting into its decisive section.

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