Walter Mazzarri has been given a two-match ban by UEFA, meaning he’ll miss both Napoli’s legs against Chelsea.
The Coach was sent off during the 2-0 win at Villarreal on December 7 when he shoved Nilmar in protest at his time-wasting tactics on the touchline.
Walter Mazzarri has been given a two-match ban by UEFA, meaning he’ll miss both Napoli’s legs against Chelsea.
The Coach was sent off during the 2-0 win at Villarreal on December 7 when he shoved Nilmar in protest at his time-wasting tactics on the touchline.
Mazzarri later said he did it to prompt a reaction from his men, who at the time were going out of the Champions League due to a 0-0 result.
UEFA have now ruled that he must sit out a two-match ban and pay a €3,000 fine, meaning the tactician has to be in the stands for both legs of the second round clash with Chelsea.
“We will present an appeal at the start of next week,” Napoli lawyer Mattia Grassani told Radio Gol.
“We’re hoping to at least reduce it to a one-match ban, seeing as there were no repercussions for the player pushed.
“Our objective is to cut that down to only a warning. We’ll try to prove Mazzarri’s behaviour was not aggressive. Above all, it was the player who moved towards the Coach and not the other way round.”
The first leg is at the San Paolo on February 21, while the decider is at Stamford Bridge on March 14.