Napoli’s run of seven consecutive wins in all competitions came to an end with a goalless draw at Genoa. Louis Gibberd-Thomas takes a look at the explanations behind that hiccup.
No coach expects to go through a season without some low points, and fortunately for Napoli at the moment, this just takes the form of a 0-0 draw away to Genoa. Maurizio Sarri was quick to find excuses: a penalty that wasn’t awarded for a foul on Gonzalo Higuain, the state of the pitch, a congested calendar and, of course, a lack of luck.
The result means Napoli have missed a chance to go top of Serie A, and despite the excuses the Azzurri really should have won the game with the number of chances they had. However, Sarri has highlighted a bugbear that the Neapolitan side have suffered with for many seasons: competing in several competitions.
Although just as well-traveled as the Champions League, the Europa League fixtures take place later in the week. This gives teams just a few days to recuperate in time for the weekend Serie A matches. In the case of Napoli, their group has taken them to Denmark, Belgium and Poland for fixtures that, although routine in most cases, have required a lot of airtime.
Critics will state that a club of Napoli’s size should be prepared for the rigours of the Europa League, but there are so many factors involved. Many of the recent signings are new to the competition, the squad being relatively small and a number of injuries have made rotation difficult. There is also the need to play a competitive side, as Sarri couldn’t risk going out of the competition at such an early stage.
Napoli aren’t the only side to suffer in this way. Lazio have seen their league form dip as a result of intense Europa League involvement, losing back to back games to Atalanta and AC Milan respectively. Teams in the Premier League have suffered in the same way over the years. Perhaps when these fixtures become less frequent then we’ll see some improvement, but for now Napoli are going to have to tough it out.
Some relief then that there next two fixtures are at the Stadio San Paolo. First the Danish champions FC Midtjylland midweek, who suffered a 4-1 drubbing on their own patch. Then Udinese this weekend who have had an indifferent run of form, who languish in 14th with 12 points. Sarri will only have the fitness of Dries Mertens to concern him for now, although the Belgian isn’t considered a starter.
One further point of concern has been the protestations of Juan Camilo Zuniga, who gave an ill-advised interview in his home country. The full-back publicly criticised the club for not playing him when he’s been fully fit, an outburst that saw Zuniga omitted from the squad. Although the Colombian has completed his recovery from a serious injury, this incident comes as something of a surprise with him having been such a loyal servicemen for the Partenopei.
It was well documented that Zuniga would depart in January prior to this event, but ending his Napoli career on a positive note would be far more preferable.
