The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reacted to President of Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis’s comment about not signing African players anymore.
Laurentiis had made the statement on the Wall Street Italia show last week.
He said that “no one should talk to him about African players anymore because he pays their salaries only to send them to represent their respective countries.”
‘I told them, lads, don’t talk to me about Africans anymore!’ said De Laurentiis during a streamed event.
‘I love them, but either they sign something confirming they’ll back out of playing the Africa Cup of Nations, or otherwise between that tournament, and the World Cup qualifiers in South America, these players are never available!
‘We are the idiots who pay salaries only to send them all over the world playing for others.’
CAF responded that the Confederation is about bringing together and uniting people of different cultures and assume that Laurentiis will also include similar restrictive conditions for players from another part of the world.
“CAF is committed to football’s role in Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia and globally of bringing together and uniting people of different cultures, language groups, races, ethnic groups and religious backgrounds.
“By publicly declaring that players who sign for Napoli must sign a waiver denouncing participation in the Africa Cup of Nations as a condition of employment, De Laurentiis’ comments are likely to fall under Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.
“We do not doubt Napoli and UEFA are as committed as CAF to these global humanitarian objectives.
CAF added, “we assume that the chairman of Napoli is going to include similar restrictive conditions to players from South America, Asia and other Confederations prohibiting them from playing in their continental competitions, which are important for the development and growth of football globally?”
