Napoli midfielder Antonio Vergara was not called upon as Massimiliano Allegri's side drew 1-1 away against Fiorentina on September 21, with Billy Gilmour's opener cancelled out by a Jimenez equaliser in the second half. Allegri addressed Vergara's absence from the action directly in his post-match press conference — a pointed acknowledgement that carries weight given the 23-year-old's limited involvement so far this season.
The result leaves Napoli ninth in Serie A with seven points from five matches, a record of two wins, one draw and two defeats. It is a position that reflects a squad still searching for consistency, and Vergara's situation mirrors that uncertainty at the individual level. In two appearances this season, the midfielder has contributed no goals and no assists, carrying an average rating of 5.88 — numbers that describe a player on the periphery of meaningful action rather than one shaping it.
What makes Allegri's public comment significant is its specificity. Coaches rarely single out a player's non-appearance in a press conference without intent, and the framing — why Vergara did not enter — suggests the decision was deliberate rather than circumstantial. Whether that reflects a tactical choice, a form judgment, or something else, the data does not say. What it does say is that a 23-year-old with an AI overall of 62 out of 100 and a potential of 64 is at a stage where minutes matter more than most.
Napoli's attacking output — seven goals scored across five matches — suggests the system can produce, but the defensive side, six conceded, and the pattern of dropping points against sides they might expect to beat, points to a team still being assembled rather than one executing a settled plan. Gilmour's goal gave Allegri's side the lead; conceding the equaliser in the second half extended a run of results that has kept them in the middle of the table rather than pressing upward.
For Vergara, the calculus is straightforward: a coach who mentions your name after a match in which you did not play is a coach who is thinking about you. Whether that translates into opportunity in the coming weeks depends on Napoli finding a reason to change what they are doing — and on Vergara being ready when they do.