Massimiliano Allegri's first match as Napoli head coach ended in defeat as Serie B newcomers Arezzo claimed a 3-1 friendly victory at the SKI.IT Arena in Dimaro Folgarida.
Allegri, appointed in the close-season to replace Antonio Conte, saw his side fall behind before half-time when Alberto Cerri headed in from close range after Napoli were caught on the counter. Manuel Gilli doubled the lead early in the second half, reacting quickest to Vanja Milinkovic-Savic's parry to tap into an empty net.
Napoli responded through Matteo Politano, who saw his penalty saved by Arezzo goalkeeper Serban before scoring on the rebound. Lorenzo Lucca then struck the post as the Serie A side pushed for an equaliser, but Arezzo goalkeeper Trobini made further saves to deny Pafundi and Lobotka.
Emmanuel Mawuli sealed the victory in the 90th minute, capitalising on a defensive mix-up between Obaretin and Lobotka to score from close range.
Allegri rotated his entire squad across the two halves, with Rrahmani and Rafa Marin deployed as the centre-back pairing in the absence of Buongiorno, Beukema and the still-resting Olivera. Young winger Giovane impressed on the right flank, while 17-year-old midfielder Prisco showed composure beyond his years in central midfield.
"It's just a pre-season friendly, but losing your first match always stings," Allegri reflected. The former Juventus coach will look for transfer reinforcements and the return of his World Cup participants ahead of the Serie A campaign.
Sources
- https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Napoli/22-07-2026/napoli-arezzo-1-3-allegri-inizia-l-avventura-azzurra-con-una-battuta-d-arresto.shtml
