Walter Mazzarri had to discipline Uruguayan midfielder Walter Gargano after he returned late to the pitch in the 3-1 friendly win over Portuguese side Braga.
Walter Mazzarri had to discipline Uruguayan midfielder Walter Gargano after he returned late to the pitch in the 3-1 friendly win over Portuguese side Braga.
Although not in the starting XI, after half time Gargano was last out from the dressing room, some minutes after his teammates. This irritated the Coach, who immediately sent Blerim Dzemaili to warm up instead, causing post-match speculation about the player’s future.
However, Mazzarri was quick to say the matter was already resolved, telling calcionapoli.it: “I demand respect for the rules.
“He arrived some minutes after, and I was looking for him to do the warm-up, but there is no talk of the transfer market. Tomorrow we don’t even need a handshake, it’s just sometimes you need to point out a player’s mistakes.”
Napoli went on to win the game 3-1, yet Mazzarri was cool on the performance itself.
“Today we did the opposite of the other friendly against Bayern Munich. We played well up to 2-0, but then too many players under-performed. This should not happen, so we need to work hard.”
Last season’s Coppa Italia champions meet Scudetto winners Juventus in the season opening Supercoppa final, held in Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium on August 11.