Gattuso Blasts Soulless Napoli, Immobile Hat-Trick Keeps Lazio In Check
19th January 2020
The loss left last season's runners-up without a league win at their San Paolo Stadium since October 19 ahead of hosting Barcelona in the Champions League in a month's time
- Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso blasted his team as "soulless, unwatchable and embarrassing" on Saturday after a 2-0 home defeat by Fiorentina
- For Napoli, it was a third consecutive defeat and fourth in a row at home against Fiorentina.
- Ciro Immobile scored a hat-trick as Lazio thrashed ten-man Sampdoria 5-1 to consolidate third place and keep the pressure on leaders Juventus and Inter Milan
MILAN, Italy- Napoli
coach Gennaro Gattuso blasted his team as "soulless, unwatchable and
embarrassing" on Saturday after a 2-0 home defeat by Fiorentina.
The loss left last season's runners-up without a league win
at their San Paolo Stadium since October 19 ahead of hosting Barcelona in the
Champions League in a month's time.
"We must apologise to the fans and the city, it was an
embarrassing performance, today we were unwatchable," said Gattuso.
"We have hit rock bottom and we need to understand what
we are going towards, we are a soulless team."
Gattuso said the team had agreed to head straight to a
training retreat before hosting Lazio in the Italian Cup quarter-finals on
Tuesday and welcoming Juventus to Naples next weekend.
For Napoli, it was a third consecutive defeat and fourth in
a row at home against Fiorentina.
Gattuso replaced Carlo Ancelotti last month, but the former
AC Milan boss has lost four of five games since then.
"We have to look at each other, be together, let off
steam and look for solutions. What we are doing is not enough," added
Gattuso.
Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic scored in either half to
give the Tuscany side back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly three
months.
Chiesa opened the scoring on 26 minutes with Vlahovic
curling in a second with quarter of an hour to go.
The southerners are in 13th position, closer to the
relegation zone than the Champions League places. Fiorentina moved up to 12th.
- 'Still believe' -
Ciro Immobile scored a hat-trick as Lazio thrashed ten-man
Sampdoria 5-1 to consolidate third place and keep the pressure on leaders
Juventus and Inter Milan.
Simone Inzaghi's Lazio extended their club record winning
streak to 11 league games as they target a first Serie A title since 2000 with
Immobile the division's runaway top scorer with 23 goals.
"If we get to seven, eight, ten games from the end and
we are still there, why not try to still believe? But for now the goal remains
the Champions League," insisted Immobile.
"The important thing is to continue like this without
getting carried away."
Immobile is on course to overtake Gonzalo Higuain's Serie A
record of 36 goals scored for Napoli in the 2015-2016 season.
"Only Higuain achieved this so it's tough," added
Immobile, whose previous best was 29 goals in the 2017-2018 campaign.
"But with these teammates, this crowd, this enthusiasm,
we can continue to do well, and hopefully I can keep scoring."
Sampdoria had beaten Brescia 5-1 last time out but were
overrun by the Romans who move three points behind Juventus and one adrift of
Inter Milan.
Atalanta and Roma are ten points behind.
Eight-time reigning champions Juventus host Parma on Sunday
with Inter at Lecce.
- 'Worst game' -
Immobile played a role in Felipe Caicedo's opener on just
seven minutes at the Stadio Olimpico.
He added two more in a three-minute first-half spell, the
first from the spot after a Nicola Murru handball, to put Lazio three goals up
after 20 minutes.
Angolan defender Bastos tapped in nine minutes after the
break, with Immobile converting a second penalty on 65 minutes.
Sampdoria played the final quarter of an hour a man down
after Julian Chabot was sent off for bringing down Bobby Adekanye.
Karol Linetty pulled a goal back for the Genoa side on 69
minutes, but Claudio Ranieri's men are now 16th, five points above the
relegation zone.
Ranieri lamented "the worst game" since he took
over in October.
"Lazio were magnificent," said the former Roma
boss. "They are having fun and play with heart."
In Reggio Emilia, Sassuolo eased their relegation fears with
a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Europa League hopefuls Torino.
The hosts fell behind after Manuel Locatelli turned into his
own net on 20 minutes.
But Ivory Coast international Jeremie Boga scored a stunning
long-range goal after an hour and then set up Domenico Berardi for the winner
on 73 minutes.
Torino, in eighth, can be overtaken by Hellas Verona and AC
Milan, who play on Sunday.