Napoli, Mazzarri: Politano sent off at our worst moment, I won’t talk about referees

Walter Mazzarri, Napoli’s manager, has spoken out after the club’s defeat against Italian champions Roma. His comments were aired on DAZN following Roma’s denouncement of Napoli.

Mazzarri was notably upset as he discussed the expulsion of Politano, saying “It was our best moment, we were superior in possession and overall. I won’t talk about referees, I talk about football. We weren’t ruthless in the goal zone, but aside from Belotti’s opportunity, Napoli did much more. We started better than them, then it went as it went. One just takes note and moves on.”

When quizzed about potentially changing tactics or persisting with the 4-3-3, the manager was quick to dismiss the suggestion. Mazzarri expressed disbelief at being asked to change formation after only two matches. He reinforced his faith in the team’s approach. He said, “It seems like a joke. After two matches, they asked me why I didn’t change the module. Together with the president, I came here because I liked the team with the 4-3-3. As for the players, we’ll see after, but if the team is attacking and has a lot of ball possession, it means we’re on the right path.”

Talking about how long it would take to recover their brilliance, Mazzarri offered a thoughtful response. Suggesting that joining a major team at a certain time means, it’s impossible to train as they would like. He said the situation is making it hard to find the right condition.

Exploring more attacking solutions, Mazzarri confirmed the club has started some experiments. For instance, against Cagliari, Raspadori was successful when playing close to Osimhen. The football manager concluded by affirming his agreement to try some new strategies moving forward.