Gonzalo Higuain says his poor relationship with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis pushed him into signing for Juventus.
The 28-year-old striker left for Napoli’s Serie A rivals in a £75.3 million transfer, making him the third-most expensive player of all time, behind only Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Higuain has now felt the need to defend himself against widespread criticism from Napoli fans for his perceived disloyalty, claiming De Laurentiis forced his hand.
“It was my decision to leave, but it was [De Laurentiis] who pushed me into making it,” he said, as reported by ESPN FC.
“I’d like to thank the fans and my teammates, but not De Laurentiis. I no longer had a relationship with him; I couldn’t stand another minute with him.”
While his relationship with Napoli’s president had broken down, Higuain was quick to thank manager Maurizio Sarri and the fans for their role in his success.
He added: “I’ve remained silent in recent days, but these have been three amazing years and I can only say thanks for all the love I was given, but this was a decision I took for my own reasons.
“I can understand that they are angry with me and I’ve seen the insults, but it is something I had to do and I’m happy about it.”
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