Former Napoli defender Fabio Cannavaro described Napoli’s inability to beat Athletic Club in the first leg of their Champions League playoff as ‘a sin’.
The two sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Stadio San Paolo and the Partenopei will travel to Spain knowing they need a better result to progress.
Cannavaro reported to Mediaset after the match.
“You have to win these matches in the Champions League; it was a sin,” he lamented.
“The team did not play well, especially in the first half, while in the last twenty-five minutes, they accelerated and caused problems for the Basque’s defence.”
After new signing Michu passed up the opportunity to take a strike at goal late in the game in favour of seeking a team-mate with a pass, the former Italy captain defended the Spaniard.
“Did Michu make a mistake?” he wondered. “Not if he felt like that, but he was in a very good position to shoot. Now at San Mames there will be a very fiery atmosphere.”
