"He did what anyone would have done, nothing to say, only thanks for the commitment and the sweaty shirt every game. What makes the nose turn up a bit is the timing: two days after such an important game, especially the fans ... we could have waited for the end of the championship, so that no one would have been able to say anything. Now the teasing is around the corner, with every mistake, a goal is eaten. A sad ending ".
So Antonio, a Napoli fan, on the social groups of the ultras comments on the farewell of Lorenzo Insigne, who last night signed his new contract with Toronto.
A comment that summarizes that of many other Azzurri supporters.
Insigne will go to Canada at 31, on a five-year contract of 11.5 million base annual salary plus 4 million bonuses. A contract told today by Andrea D'Amico, agent and intermediary, on Radio Marte: "Working for Toronto as their representative, when time allowed it - he says - I made this transaction with Lorenzo in a flash. There were many cards with the MLS contract and Toronto. Can Toronto take Insigne as early as January? Surely not, the operation was designed to bring him to July. Now Lorenzo is fully focused for the season with Napoli. As long as you are in contact with a team give your all for that team, then you focus on something else, I don't find anything strange about it, it's work ".
The blue captain from Frattamaggiore, in the province of Naples, will leave the city where he now lives, in Posillipo, and will build a piece of a new career, but without playing as an opponent of Napoli. A wish that over time could tie him even more to the fans who have always frowned upon those who, as a Neapolitan, left the blue jersey to return as an opponent. Two above all, Fabio Cannavaro, who left the city early to make a career in Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid, and before that for Ciro Ferrara who after 10 years in blue went to play another 10 at Juventus.
Insigne did not want to leave with this last rift with the fans who in recent years have appreciated him, but also strongly criticized some of his mistakes. Instead, he has a real and personal bond with the blue shirt and for this reason he didn't feel like facing it, in addition to the fact that he had such a strong offer from Canada.
But the relationship with the club had deteriorated, with which Insigne had already collided in November 2019 when - after the draw with Salzburg in the Champions League - together with Mertens, Callejon and Allan he had led the 'no' to Edoardo De Laurentiis who wanted to bring the retired team back. Since then Insigne has remained on the pitch, with the captain's armband and bonding with the coaches, but far from the president De Laurentiis who has included him in the list of players to whom to cut the salary to keep Napoli afloat economically. The offer of 3.5 million for the renewal of the engagement was deemed unsatisfactory and the captain decided to end his adventure in blue and leave for the other part of the world.But from now until June the dream remains to win with the Napoli shirt.