Mazzarri admits to intentional sending off and proud with Napoli’s efforts
Napoli manager, Walter Mazzarri, has revealed that he intentionally got sent off in the UEFA Champions League group game against Villarreal.
Mazzarri was sent to the stands after he protested against the opposition’s time wasting tactics. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Napoli-c40003 were in desperate need of a win in order to qualify for the next round but the Partenopei outfit struggled to find the back
of the net in the first half. Mazzarri admitted that he was getting nervous after the break and Villarreal were looking happy to play for a draw.
The former Sampdoria boss believes that his sending off made a huge difference in the motivation of his players and they came out with an improved attitude. Gokhan Inler broke the deadlock for the Azzurri with a thunderous long
range strike in the 65th minute, while Marek Hamsik confirmed their qualification with a second goal.
“After saying that we had to play as we know, I tried to shake them up a bit with this very significant gesture. Villarreal were wasting time, playing for a draw and for us it meant we would be eliminated. So I thought that my
action could stimulate the boys in the end. I have a great feeling for the fans and my players, in that moment - with a push on an opponent that was wasting time - my players, maybe even subconsciously, picked up on this.”
Mazzarri is extremely happy to be part of the historical moment and believes that he has experienced such moment after a long time. The 50-year-old revealed that he was so tensed and did not celebrate until the final whistle.
“I did not celebrate the goals because I knew that until the final whistle.”
The Italian tactician is happy for the fans and believes that they deserve to be part of the success. Large number of fans travelled with the team to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Spain-c3011 and Mazzarri admitted that he was shocked to see the support.
Napoli finished 2nd in the Group A ahead of English giants, Manchester City and Spanish side, Villarreal. Napoli might be drawn against Spanish giants, Real Madrid or http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604.
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