NAPOLI ISSUES "DISCIPLINARY ACTION" WARNING AFTER ROMELU LUKAKU FAILS TO REPORT BACK

Napoli issues a sharp response after Romelu Lukaku fails to return from Belgium, threatening indefinite suspension.

Napoli issues "disciplinary action" warning after Romelu Lukaku fails to report back
Napoli confirms Romelu Lukaku "did not respond" to the official training call - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Napoli has issued a sharp official response after Romelu Lukaku failed to return to training following the international break. The Belgian striker stayed in Belgium despite instructions from the club, prompting the team's leadership to consider serious disciplinary measures.

Something clearly broke down in communication. While his teammates came back after their national duties, Lukaku remained in his home country. This unusual absence led Napoli to publicly criticise him, an uncommon move for a club of their stature.

The heart of the issue seems to be Lukaku’s choice to focus on personal recovery away from the club’s medical team. Although he withdrew from the Belgian squad last week due to fitness concerns, he decided to work with private trainers instead of coming back to Napoli. This decision reportedly lacked the club’s approval.

Napoli’s management made no effort to hide their frustration with Lukaku’s defiance. The board is now looking at options like imposing a heavy fine or even removing him from the first-team squad completely.

In their official statement, the club declared: “SSC Napoli can confirm that Romelu Lukaku did not respond to today’s call to return to training. The club reserves the right to consider taking the appropriate disciplinary action, as well as to determine whether the player will continue to train with the team for an indefinite period.”

The matter has grown beyond a simple sports dispute. Napoli’s legal advisors are reviewing the striker’s contract closely. According to reports from Sky Sports via Football Italia, lawyers are assessing whether Lukaku’s “indefinite” absence could warrant harsher penalties, beyond just a fine for a missed week. If things aren’t resolved soon, the club might fully sideline him.

This issue arises at a tough moment for Napoli, who are gearing up for an important domestic clash. They will face AC Milan on Monday in a game that could influence the standings at the top of Serie A. Currently, Napoli sits third with 62 points from 30 games, just behind Milan in second by a single point, while Inter leads the table with 69 points.

INSIDE PEDRAG MIJATOVIC’S FIERCE OPPOSITION TO ANDREJ KOSTIC’S AC MILAN TRANSFER

Partizan Vice-President Pedrag Mijatovic opposes Andrej Kostic’s €3.5m AC Milan move, citing a "breach of bylaws."

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Mijatovic calls for extraordinary meeting to block "harmful" €3.5m Milan deal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

The vice-president of Partizan Belgrade has voiced strong opposition to the transfer of Andrej Kostic to AC Milan.

For months, Milan showed interest in Kostic as he made a name for himself at Partizan. After the winter transfer window, it seemed the opportunity might have slipped away, yet a deal was eventually reached. Kostic underwent a medical on Sunday ahead of a €3.5 million move to Milan.

This season, the Montenegrin forward has netted 10 goals in the Serbian SuperLiga and appeared in both the Europa Conference League and Europa League qualifiers. While he’s widely seen as a talent for the future, he’s currently making a solid impact as well.

Despite this, there isn’t unanimous support within Partizan for the transfer. In an interview with sportske.net (reported via MilanNews), Predrag Mijatovic, Partizan’s vice-president, made it clear he is against selling Kostic.

“Regarding the news about Andrej Kostić’s move to AC Milan, I feel obliged to address the Partizan supporters and the broader sports community to firmly distance myself from this decision,” he said.

He went on to state that he wasn’t consulted at all during the transfer process and had never even seen AC Milan’s offer. Had he been involved, he insists he would have strongly opposed accepting what he described as a “paltry” sum.

Mijatovic highlighted that this action breaches the club’s bylaws, considering that his role explicitly covers sporting affairs, including transfer policies and player development. He questioned how the club can continue selling its brightest prospects cheaply, even hinting at the possibility of free transfers.

He also mentioned that the rest of the board, led by Rasim Ljajić, knows he’s been in discussions with several top European clubs regarding the club’s young talents, including Kostic. Throughout those talks, he maintained that their players carry multimillion-euro release clauses and that the club’s strategy involves properly nurturing their potential.

Mijatovic worries this sale could set a harmful precedent, undermining the market value of their young talents. As vice-president of one of the region’s biggest sporting institutions, he demands full transparency not only about this transfer but also about the club’s management decisions overall, and he calls for it to happen without delay.

Finally, he urges the board to convene an extraordinary meeting soon, stressing the need to clarify the club’s direction and strategy. He points out that the club must find financial solutions that don’t compromise its interests or violate its principles.

In short, from Mijatovic’s perspective, this transfer raises serious questions about governance and the future approach to developing and managing Partizan’s promising players.

INTER MILAN TITLE LEAD SLASHED TO SIX POINTS AFTER THIRD STRAIGHT BLUNDER

Chivu’s Inter Milan looks vulnerable for the first time in 2026, giving Napoli and Milan hope with nine games left.

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AC Milan And Napoli Surge As Inter Milan’s Serie A Dominance Finally Crumbles

For months, watching Inter Milan march toward the title felt about as interesting as waiting for your train. Reliable and dull. You didn’t get the epic battles that made Serie A legendary; you got results right on schedule, week after week, with nobody else really in sight.

Now everything’s flipped. At least as much chaos happens in Serie A.

Inter haven’t won in their last three league matches. That’s not just a blip; it’s woken up AC Milan and Napoli. Suddenly, both teams believe there’s a real chance.

The double-digit gap between Inter and their rivals has shrunk six points to Milan and seven to Napoli. Nine games left. That’s not a comfortable cushion; it’s a challenge.

Don't get me wrong, Inter haven’t completely fallen apart. They’re wobbling, though. It’s that uneasy feeling you get when a champion starts to lose its grip. They grabbed a draw when they should’ve won, dropped points in a match they could've taken, and followed up with a draw that just lacked conviction. Nobody's calling it a disaster yet. It’s less dramatic than that. It’s something worse; it’s uncertainty.

For so long, Inter felt untouchable because they ran games with iron control. They dictated tempo, suffocated their opponents, and then struck when it mattered. But chip away even a little bit of that confidence, and the whole system starts looking fragile, almost human.

Now teams are noticing the cracks. Pressing a little harder. Defending a little more aggressively. That sense that Inter would always find a way has faded.

And in that gap, Milan and Napoli have slipped in.

Milan hasn’t exactly wowed anybody, but they’re relentless. They grind out wins, staying in the hunt without making a fuss. They just edged Torino, 3-2, right after a disappointing loss to Lazio and, before that, a crucial win over Inter. They're close enough now that Inter actually has to look behind them. That's when things get tense.

Napoli’s comeback is messier. They swing between brilliance and frustration, but with four straight league wins, each by just one goal, they’re keeping pace, too.

The biggest shift, honestly, isn’t in the numbers. It’s in the mood. Inter doesn't feel inevitable anymore. That matters way more than any points difference. Title races aren’t about who’s ahead on paper; they’re about nerves, doubts, and those little moments where confidence starts leaking, and one bad result turns into a streak.

Chivu’s team is still on top. They’re still, by most measures, the best squad in Italy. But for the first time this season, they look vulnerable. Milan and Napoli see it.

That’s why a race that seemed locked up in February is wide open now. Not because Inter collapsed, but because they did something even riskier: they gave everyone else hope.

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