De Laurentiis: The Insane Promise Napoli Owner Made to His Player Before Barcelona Game

• Napoli players have missed out on an eight-figure reward from their president
• The Italian side have been dumped out of this season's Champions League
• They lost 3-1 to Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona on Tuesday evening

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis made a bold pledge to his players before their second leg Champions League last-16 match against Barcelona.

The Italian giants approached Tuesday night's fixture at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys with optimism, especially after Victor Osimhen's equalizer against Robert Lewandowski's opener secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

De Laurentiis sought to motivate his squad further before kick-off.

During an interview with journalist Guillem Balague for CBS Sports, the 74-year-old disclosed that he promised Napoli players over €10 million in bonuses if they advanced to the quarter-final stage.

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"You are very well informed," he laughed after being asked about the bonus. "It's more than €10 million, in fact."

De Laurentiis' promise backfires

However, the Italian businessman's pledge resulted in disappointment as Barcelona endured a tense second half to defeat Napoli 3-1, securing a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 aggregate scoreline.

Xavi Hernandez's side made a strong start with goals from Fermin Lopez and Joao Cancelo, but after Amir Rrahmani narrowed the lead, Barcelona began to feel the pressure, per SportBIBLE.

Despite salvaging a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the last-16 match, Italian champions Napoli ultimately succumbed when Robert Lewandowski scored from close range.

Barcelona have advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2020, achieving this feat despite the absence of injured midfield trio Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong.

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Barcelona youngster 'stops' Osimhen

Sports Brief also reported that Pau Cubarsi managed to minimise Victor Osimhen's threat in Barcelona's Round of 16 second-leg tie against Napoli.

The youngster did not feature in the first leg, with Osimhen finding the back of the net against Inigo Martinez and Ronald Araujo.

The Spanish defender was included in the starting line-up for the second leg and did an amazing job against the Nigerian striker as the Catalans sealed a 3-1 win over Napoli.