Cesare Prandelli feels Napoli put far too much pressure on Gonzalo Higuain, so he finally cracked with a four-match ban.
The striker has scored 30 goals in 31 Serie A games, but was sent off in Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Udinese and then put his hands on the referee’s chest before being dragged away by teammates.
“I think the most evident issue is the excessive responsibility placed on top of Higuain,” said ex-Italy Coach Prandelli.
Cesare Prandelli feels Napoli put far too much pressure on Gonzalo Higuain, so he finally cracked with a four-match ban.
The striker has scored 30 goals in 31 Serie A games, but was sent off in Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Udinese and then put his hands on the referee’s chest before being dragged away by teammates.
“I think the most evident issue is the excessive responsibility placed on top of Higuain,” said ex-Italy Coach Prandelli.
“He has confirmed himself to be an extraordinary champion, but struggles when it comes to controlling the stress of a game."
Napoli have already announced they will appeal the four-match ban.
“Higuain scored 30 goals and that is a remarkable figure, but unconsciously his teammates felt more relaxed with him on the field, knowing sooner or later he’d score. The other stars in the squad could’ve done more.
“It’s very tough for the Scudetto, but not finished yet. The fixture list still holds a few dangers for Juve, above all the match with Fiorentina.”
Prandelli also sided with Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri, who complained for the last six games they had played after knowing Juve had won.
“Chasing Juventus for such a long time does wear you down in the end, the break for international duty didn’t help and against Udinese the team looked fatigued.
“Television rights are important, but when two teams are competing for the Scudetto they deserve equal treatment. Playing after Juve every time is an anomaly that needs to be resolved in future tournaments.”