Maurizio Sarri noted Napoli can push into “undiscovered territory” this season, but isn’t happy with a two-week Serie A break.
The Partenopei only managed to break down Hellas in the second half with a Kalidou Koulibaly header and Jose Callejon volley.
It was a 2-0 result they needed to stay top of the Serie A table and put Tuesday’s Coppa Italia exit to Atalanta behind them.
Maurizio Sarri noted Napoli can push into “undiscovered territory” this season, but isn’t happy with a two-week Serie A break.
The Partenopei only managed to break down Hellas in the second half with a Kalidou Koulibaly header and Jose Callejon volley.
It was a 2-0 result they needed to stay top of the Serie A table and put Tuesday’s Coppa Italia exit to Atalanta behind them.
“It’s not an issue of squad rotation, but of mentality,” insisted the Coach on Sky Sport Italia and Mediaset Premium.
“At this moment, the team feels more fired up for Serie A games and I don’t know why. It’s a mistake. I get angry when we don’t give our all in training, let alone in a competitive match. We should focus on getting the most out of our potential in every game.
“We know that we must repeat last season’s performances to get back into the Champions League and anything more than that is undiscovered territory.”
Sarri did see improvements in the 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona this afternoon.
“We have cut down on the number of goals we have conceded from leading situations, as we don’t get distracted quite as often when we feel the result is safe, but it’s still not perfect.”
This is the final game before a two-week Serie A Winter break, but Sarri – a man who is no fan of packed fixture lists – isn’t fond of this idea either.
“I would happily continue without a vacation, but my players of course deserve a few days off. We’ve been going since the start of July, but I still think it’s excessive that a professional should require a whole week off.”
Sarri was also asked about the transfer window, specifically the approach for Bologna’s €20m-rated wide forward Simone Verdi.
“I wouldn’t dare call a player from another team, besides which, I wouldn’t know what to say. I think Verdi has extraordinary talent that has still not been fully exploited. I cannot promise anyone a starting spot.”