The Belgian missed a penalty against Como, and Napoli fans took to X and Instagram: “He just can’t cut it. He’s in shockingly poor form.”

If Romelu Lukaku misses a penalty, then something is definitely wrong. He’s a specialist from the 11-meter mark, having missed only 8 out of 49 in his career, and he went 19-for-19 with Inter. Romelu’s miss from the spot in the Coppa Italia against Como reflects his current form. He struck the ball hard and nervously, trying to drive it into the left corner of the goal, but the Belgian’s shot missed the target entirely. From the penalty spot, he didn’t look like the usual Lukaku—he typically takes his shots with greater composure, pausing for a moment after his run-up, taking aim, and then striking with confidence. That didn’t happen this time, and it’s a wake-up call. The Maradona Stadium crowd applauded him when he put his hands to his face in despair, but on social media, the fans showed him no mercy. “If Lukaku isn’t at 110%, he’s an amateur-level player,” “Lukaku just can’t cut it. He’s in shockingly poor form,” “Lukaku’s mistake is worse than Lobo’s!” “Lukaku should have been thanked and sent off at the end of the year! All of this year’s problems stem from the demands of an absurd coach and a sports director who isn’t up to the task,” are just some of the comments from Napoli supporters, who flooded X following the team’s elimination from the Coppa Italia, thanks to the comment section being disabled on the Belgian striker’s Instagram profile.

There are also those looking to the future, advising Romelu to “accept a few million-dollar offers from Saudi Arabia.” It’s not such a far-fetched prediction, given that the Belgian has reportedly already expressed openness to a possible move to the Saudi League at the end of the season. Not only Napoli fans, but also those of Inter and Napoli’s direct rivals have indulged in some social media taunts: “File a theft report—the ref moved the goal on Lukaku’s penalty,” “Lukaku’s injury in August was a stroke of luck for Napoli because they signed Hojlund, who saved their season; without him, they wouldn’t have even made it to the cup competitions!” “So Lukaku missed the penalty because of Manganiello?”

on social media—  Beyond the missed penalty, Lukaku’s 15 minutes on the field were underwhelming. He appeared slow, clumsy, and still out of shape. “Romelu isn’t in good shape—there’s not much to say. He’s not Lukaku,” Conte admitted in his post-match comments after the Coppa Italia game. And if the Napoli coach—who brought him along whenever he could—says so, and if Conte—who built part of his playing philosophy around the Belgian center forward—admits it, then it’s worth taking seriously. Big Rom has been back with the team for a couple of months now; he traveled with the squad for the Super Cup in Riyadh, but he hasn’t yet secured a starting spot in the blue jersey. He’s only been on the field for 56 minutes and attempted a shot on goal once, during the first 15 minutes against Chelsea. Lukaku was supposed to be Conte’s real January signing. The temporary transfer of Lorenzo Lucca had raised hopes that Romelu had fully recovered. He was sidelined from preseason training camp when, during the final friendly match in Castel di Sangro against Olympiacos, he suffered a strain to the rectus femoris muscle in his left thigh. It was August 14; the transfer window was still open, and Napoli acted quickly by signing Hojlund, who—in the minds of the fans and, perhaps, even Conte—could have formed one of Serie A’s most fearsome striking duos alongside Romelu. “It takes patience,” Conte repeats from time to time during the sporadic press conferences he holds. It really does take patience, but it’s worth waiting for Romelu Lukaku to return at 100%. For the final sprint in the league, he can and must make the difference—and Conte knows this well.