Troy Deeney used his CBS Sports platform to launch a brutal attack on Lorenzo Lucca, calling him “one of the worst strikers I’ve ever seen” and saying he is “lucky to be a footballer”. The criticism lands in the middle of a miserable run for Napoli’s forward, who has yet to score this season in either Serie A or the Champions League.
Lucca’s form and the incidents around him
Deeney also brought up Lucca’s clash with Kevin De Bruyne, saying he told the midfielder to f*** off in the final moments of Napoli’s Champions League match against FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão. That episode has been followed by louder frustration from the stands.
Lucca was jeered before even stepping onto the pitch when he came on in the 74th minute against Lazio. Napoli fans also turned on him in the Italian Cup against Cagliari, when he was substituted in the 68th minute after an error that led to the opposition goal.
Why the pressure is so heavy
The numbers are bleak. Lucca has 0 goals in 9 Serie A appearances this season and 0 goals in 3 Champions League appearances. His most recent league outing produced a 6.64 rating in a 1-1 draw with Lazio, which did little to calm the noise.
Napoli’s own results have fed the mood around him. They sit 10th in Serie A with 15 points after 11 matches, and 27th in the Champions League table with 3 points after 4 matches.
Massimiliano Allegri offered a very different line on Lucca, telling A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese: “Lucca is a quality player, he has to be supported and helped, the goal will come,”. That view is part of the debate now, even if the current evidence is hard on the striker.
Napoli’s immediate problem is simple enough, they need a response from Lucca before the irritation around him hardens further.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
