Matteo Politano had a very special dedication to someone in the stands after his astonishing volley for Napoli against Monza. ‘We showed what we can do.’
The Partenopei won the Scudetto last season for the first time in over 30 years, but now face a battle just to qualify for European football.
It was all going wrong in Monza until Victor Osimhen’s towering header sparked a turnaround, with Politano’s ferocious volley, a Piotr Zielinski screamer off the underside of the bar and Giacomo Raspadori tap-in to win 4-2.
“Today we showed what we can do, but we have to understand that we are strong and always play the way we did in that second half. We’ve had too many ups and downs, we need to be more consistent, because we showed what we are capable of,” Politano told DAZN.
It seemed like a completely different team coming out for the second half, so what happened in the locker room during the break?
“We told ourselves to wake up, as last week it was a bad performance against Atalanta, the first half today was not up to our standards either. We all need to give something more for the team.”
It was perhaps the best goal of Politano’s career, so is there a dedication?
“I am very happy today, especially as my daughter was watching in the stands. I dedicate this goal to her.”
She then went onto the pitch after the final whistle, wearing her own personalised Napoli jersey, to join the celebrations.
Matteo Politano with the sweetest first-time strike you'll see this weekend 🚀
In the blink of an eye, Napoli have turned things around!
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Nr23xXhuLG
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 7, 2024
Napoli fans staged a protest by leaving the away end empty for the opening 15 minutes, then showing a series of banners criticising the team for their efforts.
“Our fans are always present. Naturally, they expect more from us and so do we. It’s above all sad for them, as they always show such passion and we hope to end the season on track.”
MATTEO POLITANO JUST DID AN ABSOLUTE MADNESS. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😱 pic.twitter.com/77Yq6s6WeQ
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 7, 2024