Lukaku angers Napoli and Conte

Last season, Romelu Lukaku was the main attacking force behind SSC Napoli’s Scudetto charge, but this season has brought very little good for both him and the club. The Italian champions have practically surrendered their Serie A title, disappointed in the Champions League, were eliminated from the Coppa Italia, and even winning the Supercoppa cannot mask an overall poor campaign. One of the key reasons has been Lukaku’s injury. The Belgian striker has played just about an hour of football since the start of the season, scoring only once — and now he has angered the club’s management, with a fine looming.

Lukaku was injured before the season began and remained sidelined until January 25. Since returning, he has struggled with fitness and form. Across seven appearances in all competitions, he has only come off the bench, never started a match, and accumulated just 64 minutes. Napoli waited almost the entire season for him to recover and regain full fitness, but now feel he has let them down. Despite not being fully fit, Lukaku was called up to the Belgium national football team for friendlies against the USA and Mexico. However, the national team’s staff decided to release him after determining he wasn’t ready. Instead of returning to Naples, Lukaku chose to remain in Belgium during the break.

Lukaku's "No" to friendly games: Robust striker drops out of Belgium squad

This decision infuriated Napoli officials, who expected him to use the international break for individual training at the club and be fully prepared for the April 6 clash against AC Milan. The club views his choice as disrespectful, and a financial penalty is expected. The final decision will be made after the international break by Antonio Conte, who has a strong relationship with Lukaku — but even he is unlikely to overlook this situation lightly. With a gross salary of 7.7 million euros per season, former Chelsea striker is one of the highest-paid players at the club and in the league, and now his future at Napoli is also in question. Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund has adapted very well, and given his importance and cost, it seems unlikely Napoli will share minutes between two high-profile strikers next season.