Napoli have released a statement as the players and Carlo Ancelotti rebel against their ritiro demands.

The squad has rejected orders to continue the training retreat at the Castelvolturno ground.

Napoli had announced they would take legal action against the squad.

But in a new statement, they said: “With reference to the news stories that appeared today and over the last few days referring to the first team training retreat, the club is surprised at the way some media outlets erroneously qualified it as a 'punitive retreat.'

“President De Laurentiis stated on Radio Kiss Kiss on November 4 in very clear and unequivocal fashion: 'This is a constructive retreat and not a punitive one'.

“A ritiro, an expression summing up the complex mode of training, destined to help the players rediscover their concentration and necessary motivation ahead of two important and delicate matches."