Piotr Zieliński: The Latest Conundrum for Napoli

If the current situation at Barça seems complicated, Napoli is not faring much better. Last season, the Italians clinched the Serie A title after 33 years and made waves in the Champions League. However, this season has seen a complete turnaround in the southern Italian city, with Napoli currently sitting in ninth place and changing coaches twice.

One of the issues plaguing the ‘azzurri’ involves Piotr Zieliński. The Polish midfielder was a key figure in the midfield that secured the ‘scudetto’ last season but will not be available against Barça, as Napoli has excluded him from the European squad.

As reported by SPORT, Italian media suggests that the former Empoli player’s contract is expiring this season, and he has no plans to renew it. Moreover, it appears that he will move to Inter Milan as a free agent, a direct rival of Napoli in Serie A. In the past season, the player was on the verge of moving to Saudi Arabia.

Despite President Aurelio De Laurentiis’s decision, Walter Mazzarri has continued to rely on the Polish midfielder for domestic league matches. In the Champions League, Zieliński played in all group stage matches, even scoring a goal against Real Madrid, before being excluded from the list.

Piotr Zieliński is a symbol for Napoli, having played 356 matches in his eight seasons with the ‘azzurri,’ scoring 50 goals and providing 46 assists. He also lifted the Coppa Italia in 2020 and the Serie A trophy last season.