De Laurentiis urges fans to give Sarri time

To say that Maurizio Sarri has become a divisive issue is an understatement. The fanbase is split but unhappy thanks to a slow start to the season. Diego Maradona thinks Napoli can't win with him. Cesare Prandelli and Giovanni Trapattoni both say he can get the job done. Now Aurelio De Laurentiis has weighed in, siding with with team's manager, telling fans that they need to let Sarri work.

Sarri still has a lot of work to do and a lot more to show.

We must let him work in peace, because if we add more pressure to what already exists in a city like Naples, he’ll go from 300 cigarettes a week to 600!

Choosing a Coach is not easy, but men must be evaluated for what they are.

-Source: Football Italia

It's a fairly short statement as far as ADL talks go, but it's also an interesting one. It's not really the dreaded "vote of confidence" that usually sees a coach or manager fired less than a month later, but it's also perhaps not as supportive as a "give my manager time" statement often is.

Instead of saying "Sarri is doing great work, the results just aren't there yet," De Laurentiis says that Sarri has work to do. Instead of telling fans that Sarri is the right man for the job and that he'll build a winner, he says that he's got to work in peace or he's going to smoke more. It's kind of a... not a timid message of support, but it's certainly not what one would call "inspiring."

Still, at least he's saying that instead of spitting fire and threats and handing out ultimatums. Sarri would probably much rather hear a half-hearted show of support than that.