The Napoli head coach admits that too much football has played its toll on his players, and their performances reflect how physically fatigued they are.
The Partenopei qualified for the UEFA Champions League last season and impressed with their unique attacking style in the premier European competition. They prevailed in
a group constituting the likes of Manchester City, Villarreal and Bayern Munich. They qualified for the round of 16 with impressive performances, the highlight being the victory against the big spending Manchester City.
The Partenopei gave a good account of themselves in the last 16 as well, with an impressive victory over Chelsea at the San Paolo. Before this victory, Napoli had an inconsistent
season, winning against major opposition and losing out to relative minnows. However, a streak of consistency crept into Mazzarri’s team after their victory against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786. This propelled them into contention for the qualification of the Champions League
for next season.
However, after their heavy defeat at the Stamford Bridge the momentum broke, and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Napoli-c40003 became inconsistent again. According to their manager, the Partenopei could not meet
the excessive demands of competing at such high intensity throughout the season. Besides their European endeavours, the Azzurri have also qualified for a place in the final of the Coppa Italia. The final will be between Juventus and Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico.
While reflecting on their 3-1 loss at the hands of Atalanta, Mazzarri commented:
“We are struggling and physically alone only lasted for the first half. We paid the price for a strong performance against
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lazio-c39775 on Saturday and today were simply exhausted. We deserved to lose, because we are truly tired and on top have many injuries and suspensions to deal with.”
The Italian further went on to state that his team were not on the same level as the big clubs, and suggested:
“Every time we are second to the ball and
Atalanta were very reactive today. We are not up to the level of the big clubs in terms of experience and strength in depth. To win we have to be at 100 per cent and run harder than the
others.”
For now, Napoli are on course to qualify for the Europa League.
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