Napoli’s Achilles heel: too many injuries, leader often absent | OneFootball

The arrival of Alessandro Buongiorno at Napoli in the summer of 2024 was welcomed as a strategic reinforcement for the Azzurri defence. A young Italian defender with solid Serie A experience and leadership honed at Torino, Buongiorno seemed capable of ensuring stability and continuity in the backline. However, his journey in the Azzurri jersey soon highlighted a significant weakness: the difficulty in staying available for the entire season. Napoli now has to deal with another heavy blow. After the last match against Pisa, Buongiorno has stopped again and instrumental examinations have confirmed a low-grade lesion to the long adductor of the left thigh. His absence weighs on Antonio Conte's team, called to compete with high ambitions both in the league and in European competitions.

Buongiorno and the curse of injuries: Napoli forced to deal with the defender's absence

The data on his physical conditions, reported by Transfertmarkt, outline a worrying picture. In the 2024/25 season alone, Buongiorno has accumulated over three months of stoppages due to various injuries: from the ankle sprain in August, to the lumbar vertebra fracture between December and January, up to the double adductor injury between April and June. The total is about 115 days of absence, with fifteen matches missed in the Napoli jersey, forcing Conte to change defensive setups and hierarchies multiple times.

The problem, however, did not start in Napoli. Already at Torino, Buongiorno had shown a tendency to stop frequently: in the 2023/24 season, almost forty days of stoppage for shoulder problems resulted in seven missed matches, to which were added further absences due to muscle injuries. If all periods of inactivity are added up, Buongiorno has accumulated about 270 days of stoppage and over forty matches missed between Torino, Napoli and the National team. The frequency of these injuries highlights how, despite technical skills and leadership, the defender represents a significant risk factor in building a defence for a team that aspires to compete at the highest levels.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.