A Rough Start to the Allegri Era
Not the debut Massimiliano Allegri would’ve wanted. His first game in charge of Napoli ended in a 3-1 loss to newly-promoted Arezzo at the SKI.IT Arena in Dimaro, and honestly, it’s a near carbon copy of what happened to his predecessor a year ago — Antonio Conte lost his own opening friendly to this exact same Arezzo side, 2-0, on this exact same date last summer.
Napoli were missing a fair chunk of their squad, five players still on post-World Cup rest (Olivera, De Bruyne, Lukaku, McTominay, Lang) plus Buongiorno and Gilmour both injured, so it wasn’t a full-strength side by any means. Even so, Arezzo took the lead early. Cerri rose above his marker in the 11th minute to head home a cross from Sala, and Napoli spent much of the rest of the first half chasing the game without really threatening — Rrahmani had a header saved from a Gutierrez free-kick that came closest to an equalizer.
Arezzo Pull Further Ahead, Politano Pulls One Back
Things didn’t get easier after the break. Gilli made it 2-0 from a corner not long into the second half, doubling Arezzo’s lead and putting real daylight between the two sides. Napoli did get something back through Matteo Politano, who converted from the penalty spot in the 60th minute to give the scoreline at least a bit of respectability. It wasn’t enough to spark a real comeback, though, and Arezzo put the result beyond doubt late on through Eklu, sealing a 3-1 win that’s now the second year running they’ve beaten Napoli in this exact fixture.
What It Means Next
Allegri used the game to rotate through his squad and get an early look at his new-look side, including handing a start to 2008-born midfielder Prisco alongside Anguissa and Lindstrom. It’s early days, and pre-season results rarely mean much in the long run, but it’s still a result that’ll raise a few eyebrows given the pattern with Arezzo now repeating itself for a second straight summer. Napoli are back in action Sunday against Carrarese as their pre-season schedule continues.
Match Summary
Arezzo 3-1 Napoli Club Friendly — SKI.IT Arena (Stadio Comunale di Carciato), Dimaro, Italy Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Goals: 11′ Cerri (Arezzo) 1-0 Second half: Gilli (Arezzo) 2-0 60′ Matteo Politano (Napoli) 2-1 (penalty) Late: Eklu (Arezzo) 3-1
Result: Arezzo beat Napoli for the second year running in this pre-season fixture, handing Massimiliano Allegri a defeat in his first game as head coach.
For live pre-season friendly scores and coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and fixtures at the official SSC Napoli website.
