The walkout

Cagliari forward Sebastiano Esposito failed to appear for the team's Saturday morning training session at the Ponte di Legno retreat and did not board the flight to Berlin for Sunday's pre-season friendly against Union Berlin. The 24-year-old had trained normally with his teammates the previous day, Friday 31 July. His sudden absence came after days of mounting tension over a contract dispute that had spilled into public view through a viral social media video.

Club's official response

Cagliari released a statement on Saturday confirming that Esposito had left "without authorization" and had not given the club any explanation. "The player will not travel with the team to Germany for Sunday's friendly," the statement read, adding that the club "will evaluate what happened and reserves the right to adopt consequent measures." Earlier in the week, the club had attempted to defuse the situation after a video showed a heated discussion between Esposito, coach Fabio Pisacane, and sporting director Pietro Accardi. The club described that exchange as a normal dialogue and praised Esposito's professionalism, with Pisacane publicly calling him an exemplary professional.

Agent's rebuttal

Agent Mario Giuffredi immediately contested the club's version in an interview with tuttocagliari.it. He said the absence had been agreed upon during a late-night phone call with Accardi and Pisacane.

“The Cagliari statement is a huge falsehood. Yesterday I was on the phone from 9 pm until 2 am with sporting director Accardi and coach Pisacane and, in the player's presence, we agreed on a few days' absence due to a period of strong stress the boy was experiencing. We agreed he would return on August 5, after the friendly in Germany.”

Giuffredi insisted that contract renewal talks had been one-sided. "For two months we've been talking about renewal, and despite our full availability, there was no opening from the club," he said. He claimed president Tommaso Giulini already intended to sell the player and recounted a meeting in Milan on Thursday where Giulini walked out after only fifteen minutes, leaving the agent with Accardi and the general manager.

“On Thursday I was asked to go to Milan to talk with the club, but after only fifteen minutes of conversation, the president got up and left, leaving me with the sporting director and general manager. If the Cagliari president denies the evidence, I will show what he said.”

Contract standoff

At the heart of the rupture is Esposito's contract, which runs until 2030. After playing a decisive role in Cagliari's escape from relegation last season, the forward sought a salary adjustment. The club, however, has made economic sustainability a cornerstone of its project and refused what it considered excessive demands. La Repubblica reported that sporting director Accardi and Giuffredi had been in contact but that the club would not bend. The agent, for his part, maintains that the club never genuinely engaged and that the president's intention to sell was clear from the start.

What happens next

According to Giuffredi, Esposito is due back on 5 August. Whether Cagliari accepts that timeline is unclear; the club's statement leaves the door open to disciplinary action. Fanpage reports that Esposito has already attracted offers from other Serie A sides and from the Premier League, raising the possibility of a transfer if the relationship cannot be mended. The next few days will determine whether the player's Cagliari career can survive this breakdown.