(Football news) Just before Christmas, the struggling Scudetto holders lost to Roma after being eliminated from the Coppa Italia. They currently lie just four spots ahead of their opponents in the rankings, barely outside of Serie A’s halfway point.
Saturday’s second-half surrender at Stadio Olimpico not only saw Napoli drop to seventh place, but they also took a number of hits that might have a negative impact on their future.
Romelu Lukaku made it 2-0 for the Giallorossi with a penalty kick shortly after Matteo Politano was sent red. Lorenzo Pellegrini of Roma started the score, then Victor Osimhen followed Politano down the tunnel after receiving his second yellow card.
This weekend’s ban for two of Napoli’s first-choice forward three, coupled with an increasing number of injury absences, will only make things worse for manager Walter Mazzarri, who is already under criticism.
Despite the majority of the key players staying in Naples, Mazzarri’s team is a shadow of the one that swept to the Scudetto under Luciano Spalletti last season. They are already out of the title race and four points behind dark horses Bologna, who sit fourth with one game remaining in the first half of the season.
Osimhen, a Nigerian striker headed to the AFCON, signed a new contract with the club last week despite some public disagreements with them. However, despite his participation as a substitute in Napoli’s most recent home game, Napoli lost 4-0 to Frosinone in the Coppa Italia.
After overseeing 500 games last weekend, Mazzarri became just the 10th manager in Serie A history. However, his second stint at the club has started badly, and Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis may soon be persuaded to fire the experienced coach in the same way that he did Rudi Garcia.
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