Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso didn’t hold back in calling his side’s performance “embarrassing” as they fell 2-0 to Fiorentina on Saturday.
The result means the Azzurri have lost four of their five league matches with the 42-year-old at the helm, equalling Zdenek Zeman’s poor run from 2000.
Perhaps more worrying was Napoli’s performance on Saturday, as Gattuso apologized to the home fans for putting in a lifeless effort that was met with jeers by those in attendance at the Stadio San Paolo.
“The performance was embarrassing,” he told Sky Sport Italia after the match. “We must apologize to the fans and the city.
“It’s hard to explain the drop in performance compared to my first three matches in charge. We only did things in the first 20-25 minutes and then we were unwatchable.
“We played a very bland game, as if we were tickling the opponent. We showed no competitive desire.
“It’s as if we met during the week, put on our shirts and took the field. We can’t continue like this as we’ve hit rock bottom. We must understand what we are up against.
“We can’t look at the Champions League, we should look at the standings which are terrifying. We are playing with fire.”
Napoli take on Lazio midweek in the Coppa Italia and play host to Juventus next Sunday, and Gattuso announced that the club will go in ritiro in order to prepare for the two matches.
“It’s a decision I took with the team,” he added. “We have to look at each another in the face.”
