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After Napoli were beaten by Torino in Serie A on Sunday, Rafael Benitez expressed his frustration at the quality of officiating.
Rafael Benitez again lamented questionable refereeing decisions after Napoli fell to a 1-0 defeat at Torino on Sunday.
The Spaniard has previously criticised officials this season and raised more concerns following two controversial incidents against Torino.
A penalty claim against Emiliano Moretti was waved away by referee Massimiliano Irrati and Benitez then looked on in anger as Torino's Fabio Quagliarella escaped a second booking.
"There were incidents, which I think everyone saw clearly," the Spaniard told Sky Sport Italia. "I am tired of talking about these things.
"My opinion? My opinion is that I am tired of seeing certain things."
The aforementioned decisions added to a frustrating night for Benitez, who was not impressed with what he saw from Napoli.
"I just don't like losing," he added. "That's all. I didn't like the first half, I didn't like many things and I am tired.
"I liked the second [half] up until the mistake for their goal, but that was still not sufficient."
Feyenoord and Roma are both facing punishment from UEFA following unsavoury scenes in their Europa League clash last Thursday.
UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against Feyenoord and Roma following the second leg of their Europa League last-32 clash at De Kuip last Thursday.
Roma progressed with a 2-1 win in Rotterdam, handing them a 3-2 aggregate success following a fiery encounter in which the hosts had Mitchell te Vrede and Erwin Mulder shown straight red cards.
The game was marred by the apparent racial abuse of Gervinho by Feyenoord fans, with an inflatable banana thrown at Roma's Ivorian forward from the stands.
Feyenoord face charges for racist behaviour, which caused delays to the encounter, together with the "setting off and throwing of fireworks and/or objects" and "insufficient organisation".
Roma forward Adem Ljajic, meanwhile, is to also face action for provoking spectators, while the club from Italy's capital have been charged for breaching regulations relating to a "late kick-off".
The case against Feyenoord will be heard by UEFA's control, ethics and disciplinary body on March 19, while Roma and Ljajic are set to discover his fate on March 4.
Milan have been dealt a double injury blow after midfield pair Riccardo Montolivo and Nigel de Jong suffered muscle problems at the weekend.
Nigel de Jong and Riccardo Montolivo both picked up injuries during Saturday's goalless draw at Chievo, Milan have confirmed.
The midfield pair started the game at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi but captain Montolivo was taken off early in the second half while De Jong was withdrawn 12 minutes from time.
The Serie A club confirmed on Monday that they had picked up hamstring and thigh injuries respectively and would be reassessed in the near future.
"Both Riccardo Montolivo and Nigel de Jong sustained injuries during Saturday’s match away to Chievo," read a statement from Milan.
"Montolivo picked up a hamstring injury and he will undergo further medical tests in a week's time. Nigel de Jong meanwhile sustained a muscle injury in the back of his thigh. His fitness will be re-assessed in around 10 days' time."
Roma 1 Juventus 1: Keita keeps slim Scudetto hopes alive
2 March 2015
Roma kept their slim Serie A title hopes alive as they salvaged a 1-1 draw with leaders Juventus, despite Vassilis Torosidis' dismissal.
A late Seydou Keita equaliser just about kept Roma's Serie A title hopes alive as the midfielder cancelled out Carlos Tevez's fine opener for Juventus.
Tevez looked to have extended Juve's advantage over Rudi Garcia's team at the top of the table to 12 points when he curled home a delightful 25-yard free-kick shortly after the hour mark at Stadio Olimpico.
Roma's task was made even tougher by the fact Vassilis Torosidis was given a second yellow card for his foul on Arturo Vidal that led to Tevez's free-kick.
However, Keita's close-range header found its way in 12 minutes from time to earn the hosts a 1-1 draw in a fiery, disjointed encounter littered with bookings and fouls and devoid of much goalmouth action.
Neither Gianluigi Buffon nor Morgan De Sanctis were really tested in the first half, and it was only after Torosidis received his second caution - the seventh of the game - for a trip on Vidal that the game burst to life.
Tevez then superbly curled home his 15th league goal of the season, only for Keita to snatch a point for Garcia's men.
Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri will likely see the draw as a job well done, though, as Roma missed the chance to close the gap to six points with 13 matches remaining.
Roma enforcer Daniele De Rossi set the tone for a scrappy encounter when he scythed down Vidal just 17 seconds in.
Neither an unfit Paul Pogba nor the injured Andrea Pirlo were beside Vidal in Juve's midfield, but Allegri's team edged the opening stages regardless.
Chances were few and far between in the opening 20 minutes, as Kostas Manolas was forced to clear Vidal's dangerous pass with Alvaro Morata lurking behind him before Roberto Pereyra failed to connect with Patrice Evra's delivery from the left.
Tevez burst forward and shot wide three minutes before the break, but the sides went in level after a low-key half in which neither side registered a shot on target.
Pereyra fired across De Sanctis early in the second period as Juve continued to have the better of the play, despite Roma's greater need for all three points.
However, any hopes Roma had of closing the gap with a victory were dashed just after the hour, as Torosidis received his second yellow card and Tevez compounded their misery with his wonderful free-kick.
But Roma kept battling, and were rewarded Keita nodded Alessandro Florenzi's set-piece back across goal and Claudio Marchisio unable to stop the ball creeping over the line as the home side just about stayed in the title race.
Serie A top scorer Mauro Icardi is not for sale at any price as Inter look to build their squad around him, according to Piero Ausilio.
Inter have no intention of selling star striker Mauro Icardi despite reported interest from the Premier League, according to sporting director Piero Ausilio.
While Inter have flattered to deceive in Serie A this season, Icardi has proved a constant goal threat and is the top-scorer in the division, alongside Juventus' Carlos Tevez, with 14 league strikes to his name.
That form has seen Manchester United and Chelsea both linked with a move for the 22-year-old striker, but Inter have played down any chance of him leaving.
"What if someone bids €40m for him in the summer? Well we've got no intention of doing business, we're thinking of the present and future of this football club with Icardi," Ausilio told Sky Sport Italia.
"Our intentions are clear. We're building a team to last for a long time with very talented, young players.
"As well as Mateo Kovacic and Icardi, we've added more quality players such as Marcelo Brozovic and Xherdan Shaqiri and we want to continue in this vein."
Roberto Mancini's side fell to their eighth defeat of the campaign on Sunday against Fiorentina, a 1-0 loss leaving the 18-time champions marooned in mid-table.
The Bianconeri looked set to pull 12 points clear of their title rivals thanks to Carlos Tevez's free kick but they were pegged back by Seydou Keita's deflected header
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri was furious after his players blew a gilt-edged opportunity to effectively end Roma's Scudetto hopes at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday.
The Bianconeri looked set to open up a 12-point lead at the top of the Serie A standings when Giallorossi defender Vasilis Torosidis was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 64th minute and Carlos Tevez curled the resulting free-kick into the top corner to put the visitors ahead.
However, Juve switched off at a set-piece 14 minutes later, allowing Seydou Keita to earn Roma an unlikely share of the spoils with a header that found its way into the back of the net via Claudio Marchisio.
Allegri was thus bitterly frustrated that the reigning Italian champions had squandered the chance to put the game - and indeed the title race - to bed.
"I was happy up until the 70th minute because the team played a truly great game," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We didn't concede anything to Roma and created some chances.
"We grew a lot in the second half, took the lead and played well for another six or seven minutes.
"But then we stopped playing and we didn't do what were were supposed to do on a technical level.
"Roma pressed well, thanks to some of the changes they made, and we could even have lost the game at the end.
"As a result, we left the field very angry. That's three away games in a row that we've failed to win [Roma, Cesena and Udinese]."
Juve are still nine points clear with 13 rounds remaining but Allegri says that the Italian champions are taking nothing for granted.
"We will now allow our concentration levels to drop, even if we still have a big lead and have the head-to-head record in our favour," the former AC Milan boss said.
"We must start picking up more points on the road, as the league still has a long way to go.
"And we first of all have to stop conceding goals. We've conceded too many lately.
"We must also use the ball better in order to create more chances."
Allegri was, at least, enthused by the way in which Tevez did a fine job filling in for regular set-piece specialist Andrea Pirlo, who missed the game in the Italian capital through injury.
"Because Andrea wasn't available, Carlos practiced free-kicks in training all week," he added. "He's an extraordinary player - not that we only discovered that tonight."
Garcia: Roma only thinking of second place after Juventus draw
By Mark Doyle
Mar 2, 2015 23:59:13
The Frenchman says the Giallorossi have given up on the Scudetto after failing to reduce their nine-point deficit to the Bianconeri
Rudi Garcia has all but thrown in the towel in the fight for this season's Serie A title, admitting that Roma's sole concern after Monday's 1-1 draw with Juventus is holding onto second place.
The Giallorossi claimed an unlikely point at the Stadio Olimpico, with Seydou Keita levelling the game with a deflected header after the hosts had fallen a man and a goal down when Carlos Tevez converted the free-kick that had resulted in the dismissal of Vasilis Torosidis for a second bookable offence.
Garcia was enthused by his side's resilience and said that the Giallorossi will keep fighting right until the end of the season.
However, the Frenchman nonetheless conceded that Roma had needed to reduce their nine-point deficit to Juve to keep their Scudetto hopes alive, and that their primary goal now has to be keeping third-placed Napoli at bay.
"It was a very tactical game, decided on set-pieces," the Frenchman told Sky Sport Italia. "I saw an exceptional reaction on the part of Roma, who were a goal and a man down.
"We're still alive. Otherwise, we would not have played like this at the end of the game.
"We didn't play for the draw. It was simply that it was a tight, tactical game without any chances.
"But then we saw great desire and we deserved a second goal in those final 30 minutes.
"There are a lot of games left but now we need only to think about defending second place, which is what we have done this evening because we have gained a point on Napoli [who were beaten by Torino]."
Roma are four points clear of Napoli, and six ahead of fourth-placed Lazio.
Tevez: I'm as p****d off as Allegri after Roma draw
By Mark Doyle
Mar 3, 2015 00:53:34
The Argentine was disgusted that the Bianconeri failed to defeat their Serie A title rivals despite having a one-goal and one-man advantage
Carlos Tevez admitted that he was just as "p****d off" as Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri after Monday's 1-1 draw at Roma.
The Argentine opened the scoring 64 minutes into the top-of-the-table clash at San Siro with a sublime, curling free-kick that had been awarded for a foul that had resulted in Giallorossi defender Vasilis Torosidis being shown a second yellow card.
Juve thus looked perfectly poised to put 12 points between themselves and second-placed Roma but they allowed their hosts to snatch a draw through Seydou Keita's late, deflected header.
Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri was furious that his side had thrown away two points and his frustration was shared by his star striker.
"The coach is right to be annoyed," Tevez told Sky Sport Italia.
"We cannot give away an important game like this, with a man more in the final 20 minutes after having done well for 70 minutes.
"I'm also very p****d off. We're a strong team and the character of the squad pleased me this evening, but we cannot throw away games right at the end."
As for his fantastic free-kick, Tevez admitted that he had been taking pointers from Juve's regular dead-ball specialist Andrea Pirlo, who missed the trip to Rome through injury.
"I always see Andrea in training and it's important for me to copy his style a little," the former Manchester City striker added.
"He's my model. Who'll have precedence when he returns? Andrea, without a doubt."
The midfielder feels he is not at the same level as his illustrious team-mate and was pleased Juventus managed to deny Roma at the Stadio Olimpico
Claudio Marchisio says he is a completely different player to Andrea Pirlo and should not be compared to his Juventus team-mate.
The 29-year-old was used in his fellow Italy international's role in the 1-1 Serie A draw with Roma on Monday due to the latter's injury and put in a good performance in front of Juve's defence.
Nevertheless, Marchisio was quick to stress he is not at the same level as Pirlo in the latter's position.
"There are comparisons that can’t be made between two completely different players," Marchisio told Sky Italia. "We know what Andrea offers us.
"Personally speaking, I have undergone an important evolution in a role which I enjoy playing. With the attributes and qualities I possess, I’ll try to help the team out."
The central midfielder then went on to voice his satisfaction with the Scudetto holders' draw against second-placed Roma, although he feels they could have bagged the full three points with a bit more luck.
"We secured an important result in Roma’s own backyard. It’s not easy to come away from here, at the home of Serie A’s second-placed side, with our nine-point advantage still intact.
"Nevertheless, there’s regret at leaving with a draw.
"We started well and were able to break the deadlock. We created chances when we had numerical supremacy but were unable to put the game to bed."
Juventus not giving up on Tevez stay, insists Marotta
By Stefan Coerts
Mar 3, 2015 15:12:47
The Turin side will do everything within their limits to convince the Argentine attacker to sign a new deal with the Serie A leaders
Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has stressed that the Serie A side have not given up hopes of holding on to Carlos Tevez, while they are also keen for Gianluigi Buffon to stay put beyond the expiry date of his existing contract.
Buffon signed a new deal as recently as November last year to commit to the club until 2017, but Tevez's current deal with the Italian champions is due to expire in June 2016 and he recently hinted at a potential return to Boca Juniors.
Nevertheless, Juventus refuse to accept that the Argentine attacker will leave in the near future and are willing to go far to hold on to Tevez.
"We would like to extend the contracts of Buffon and Tevez," Marotta told reporters.
"They are an integral part of this Juventus. They are excellent players, true professionals.
"They decide their own future. From our side, a signed blank cheque is waiting for them.
"As for Tevez's individual situation, we have a desire to keep him at the club for many more years."
The attacker, 31, has netted 15 goals in 23 Serie A appearances so far in 2014-15.
Roma's comeback to earn a 1-1 draw against Juventus on Monday was applauded by coach Rudi Garcia.
Despite failing to reduce Juventus' lead at the top of Serie A, Roma earned massive plaudits from coach Rudi Garcia for their late comeback on Monday.
Garcia claimed Roma "responded magnificently" after copping a second-half red card and going behind thanks to Carlos Tevez's 64th-minute free-kick.
Seydou Keita would eventually score an equaliser for the home side with a header 12 minutes from time, although the 1-1 draw left Roma nine points adrift of the title-holders with 13 matches remaining.
But Garcia refused to get down about the result - despite many pundits claiming it secured a fourth straight Serie A title for Juventus.
"We responded magnificently," he said, according to Roma's official Twitter account.
"Despite being a man and a goal down, we fought back to draw: we're alive and kicking."
Garcia underlined the importance of his substitutes at the Stadio Olimpico, claiming Alessandro Florenzi, Juan Iturbe and Radja Nainggolan changed the match.
After a lacklustre first half, which saw Juventus defend with a back five, Garcia sacrificied Adem Ljajic, captain Francesco Totti and veteran Daniele de Rossi.
Iturbe won the free-kick that led to Keita's goal, while Florenzi provided the cross for the Malian midfielder.
"The substitutions worked for us tonight." Garcia said.
"They helped the team step up a gear."
The French coach added: "We hurried things in the first half. We needed to move the ball around more and make the most of the wide areas."
Having missed the chance to take a chunk out of Juventus' lead, Roma look set to miss out on the Scudetto but Garcia insisted the capital club will not give up yet.
"There are 13 games left to play. If we want to keep up the pressure on Juve, we have to hold onto second place," he said.
Juventus striker Carlos Tevez revealed he had copied Andrea Pirlo's free-kick technique after scoring in the 1-1 draw with Roma on Monday.
Carlos Tevez thanked Andrea Pirlo for inspiring him to score a wonderful free-kick during Juventus' 1-1 draw with Roma on Monday.
The Argentina striker curled a magnificent effort past Morgan De Sanctis in the 64th minute at the Stadio Olimpico, with Tevez assuming set-piece responsibilities in the injured Pirlo's absence.
Speaking after the draw, Tevez revealed he had been working on his technique in training after studying Pirlo closely to help himself improve.
"I copied Pirlo," he told the Gazetta dello Sport. "I watch him every day in training and tried to copy him.
"But when he returns, he will take them again. He is a specialist and I have to respect that."
It was not enough to win the match, though, as Seydou Keita headed Roma level with 12 minutes to play, earning a share of the spoils between Serie A's top two.
"We are very angry," Tevez added. "In the last 20 minutes we lost a game in which we had done very well.
"The team showed great character, but after the goal, when it was 11 against 10, we cannot give away such an important game."
Juve, aiming for a fourth consecutive title, are nine points clear at the summit.
Rudi Garcia will continue to build at Roma next season despite reports he could leave the club, according to president James Pallotta.
Roma president James Pallotta has hit out at rumours suggesting head coach Rudi Garcia could leave the club at the end of the season.
Inconsistent performances in the second half of the season have seen Roma fall nine points behind Serie A leaders Juventus and go out of the Coppa Italia to Fiorentina.
They continue to make progress in the UEFA Europa League – where they meet Fiorentina in the last 16 – but reports had linked Garcia with a move away.
However, Roma's American owner has rubbished those rumours and given the Frenchman his full backing.
He said: "Of course he will be our coach, why would he not be?
"Have you heard it from me? He's not going anywhere, it's my call, it's ridiculous.
"He's had to deal with so many injuries, and change formations so many times."
Pallotta also praised the effort shown by Roma's players as they came back from a goal down against Juve on Monday to earn a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico.
"At first it wasn't going well, but then when we started to play in the last half an hour I thought we could win," he added.
"There are a lot of teams in the world who, if they were a man down against Juventus, would surrender. Most teams would give up and go home, but we battered them in the last minute."
Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman insists he is on track to return on schedule following knee surgery, despite reports to the contrary.
Kevin Strootman has hit back at reports he may never play again following a second knee operation to rectify the torn ligament problem he suffered in 2014.
The Netherlands international missed the end of Roma's season and the World Cup due to the anterior cruciate ligament injury, but made his first-team comeback in November.
After seven appearances in all competitions the 24-year-old endured another setback during Roma's 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on January 25.
Further surgery was required to rectify the problem, leading to reports that he may struggle to play regularly again, something he rejected on Tuesday.
"Contrary to reports in the media I am back in training and working hard on my comeback," he posted on his official Twitter account.
"Please don't believe people who have never seen me in their lives, but just follow the social pages of me and AS Roma where we will keep you updated on my progress.
"Just for the record, I'm right on schedule to be back when preseason starts."
Suso accepts he must be patient for his chance in the Milan first team after moving from Liverpool in January.
Milan midfielder Suso is prepared to wait for a chance to show his talents at San Siro after seeing his chances limited since moving from Liverpool.
The 21-year-old forward opted to leave Anfield in January, having failed to break into the first team under Brendan Rodgers and spending time on loan at Almeria last season.
However, he has only experienced 10 minutes of action at Milan to date, in a Coppa Italia defeat to Lazio in January.
Suso admits settling into life in Italy has taken time, but hopes to earn a starting role in the near future and help Milan climb the Serie A table.
"I am continuing my adaptation to Italian football, I continue to work to blend in," he told the club's official website.
"I would have liked to have taken the field a bit more, but I am waiting for my chance. I would love to become an important player for this team.
"My greatest aspiration is to have success with Milan, my goal is to always give my best.
"The position where I play best is as a playmaker, last year I played as right wing, left wing, and in the past as a midfielder, but I will play wherever the coach wants [me to]."
Juventus v Fiorentina: Allegri seeking improvement
3 March 2015
Massimiliano Allegri wants Juventus to improve as they head into their Coppa Italia semi-final first-leg meeting with Fiorentina.
Juventus host Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on Thursday, and head coach Massimiliano Allegri wants to see an increased level of performance from their last outing.
On Monday, the reigning Serie A champions took the lead against title rivals Roma, who had been reduced to 10 men.
However, just when it seemed Juve would close out the win and extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points, Roma found an equaliser through Seydou Keita 12 minutes from time.
Juve still hold a commanding nine-point advantage with 13 games remaining, but, as they turn to their attentions to the Coppa, Allegri has demanded a better display.
"We need to improve, as sometimes we lose sharpness and focus," he said.
"We are still a long way off our objective and have conceded too many goals recently. We also have to improve in our control of the game when in front."
Although Allegri was disappointed with the draw against Roma, Juve have lost only once in their past 23 games in all competitions - and that was after a penalty shootout against Napoli in the Super Cup.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina - who lost out to Napoli in the final of last year's Coppa - are in fine form themselves and come into this meeting at Juventus Stadium on the back of a 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
The last of those outings saw Vincenzo Montella's side triumph 1-0 at Inter, a victory which left them fifth in Serie A, just three points off a UEFA Champions League qualification spot.
Mohamed Salah came off the bench to score the winner at San Siro on Sunday, and Montella was quick to praise the Egyptian, who has netted three goals in four appearances since joining on loan from Chelsea.
"I wanted to make the most of Salah's extraordinary form, that is why I chose him ahead of Alberto Gilardino," Montella said.
"I know that when a player is going through that kind of form, it's the duty of a coach to encourage it.
"I think he can play any position in attack. He attacks the space well and is very good at getting straight into the tempo of a game when coming off the bench."
Juve's influential playmaker Andrea Pirlo missed the meeting against Roma with a calf problem and remains a doubt.
For the visitors, Nenad Tomovic suffered a head injury against Inter and is thought unlikely to play, while Stefan Savic and Khouma Babacar are struggling with muscular problems and are being monitored.
Pogba to return against Fiorentina, Allegri confirms
4 March 2015
Juventus to be boosted by the return of Paul Pogba in Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Fiorentina.
Paul Pogba will return to Juventus' starting XI for their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Fiorentina on Thursday, coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.
France star Pogba remained on the bench for Monday's top-of-the-table Serie A clash with Roma due to a thigh problem.
However, Allegri announced on Wednesday that the 21-year-old is available for the visit of Fiorentina.
"Paul Pogba and Stefano Sturaro are in good shape. Pogba will start tomorrow night," he said.
"I still haven't chosen my starting line-up [though] - I'll check on Andrea Barzagli today and we'll come to a decision together."
Allegri also confirmed that he hopes to have playmaker Andrea Pirlo fit for Juve's UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg at Borussia Dortmund in a fortnight.
Pirlo sustained a calf injury in Juve's 2-1 first-leg win last week.
Following a run of four consecutive defeats, Serie A side Atalanta have opted to dismiss coach Stefano Colantuono and replace him with Edoardo Reja.
Colantuono - who helped Atalanta back into the top flight during 2010-11 - leaves the club three points off the relegation zone having won just five times in the league all season.
After five years with the club, the 52-year-old is replaced by Reja, who had been out of work since leaving Lazio in June.
Reja's first game in charge comes on Sunday when Atalanta are due to face financially-troubled Parma at Stadio Ennio Tardini.
"Atalanta B.C. communicate that they have dismissed coach Stefano Colantuono, who will be replaced by Mr Edy Reja," read a statement on Atalanta's website.
"The club expresses profound appreication and gratitude to Mr Colantuono on account of the work he has done over the past five years."
Injuries fail to dampen Montella´s Coppa excitement
4 March 2015
Despite being blighted by injury worries, Vincenzo Montella has promised Fiorentina will ask questions of Juventus in Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final.
Montella's side boast a 12-match unbeaten run going into their first-leg meeting with the Serie A champions in Turin, but will have to contend with a number of injury concerns - with Borja Valero, David Pizarro, Jose Basanta, Stefan Savic, Nenad Tomovic and Matias Fernandez all doubtful.
"Matches with Juventus for me are always special, even before I arrived in Florence," Montella said on Wednesday.
"When you meet the strongest team there are more incentives and motivations.
"Borja Valero is doing everything possible to recover, Pizarro also. We will evaluate prior to departure.
"Basanta is still a question mark, we will not risk Savic and Tomovic, [Milan] Badelj is fine, [Khouma] Babacar no. Mati Fernandez did a good workout.
"We will still have a competitive team, but we will be forced into making some changes."
Napoli boss Rafael Benitez was happy with the "intensity" of his side's performance as they battled back to earn a 1-1 draw away to Lazio in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday.
Having fallen behind to Miroslav Klose's first-half opener, Manolo Gabbiadini was on hand to restore parity for the holders midway through the second half, following some fine work from Gonzalo Higuain.
The result leaves the tie finely poised heading into the second leg, although Benitez will undoubtedly be confident his side can progress to the final given that Lazio have not won at San Paolo in six years.
He told Rai Sport after the game: "We saw a game with intensity and pace – the rain made it feel like the Premier League – and the players were perfect considering we have so many games at the moment.
"I said many times that we rotate the squad to maintain sharpness, which was important tonight against an intense side like Lazio and especially on a quick pitch.
"This is a strong squad. Competition between players allows us to reach these games with the right level of intensity and spurs everyone on to do better.
"I am satisfied with the team performance. We win and lose all together."
Meanwhile, Lazio boss Stefano Pioli believes his side are still in with a chance of progressing to the final, despite admitting his team will be underdogs.
"Clearly at this moment the result favours our opponents, but the second leg remains open," he told Rai Sport:
"We are satisfied with the performance, but should’ve made more of the chances we created to score more.
"We will go to the San Paolo to score a goal, which is our attitude in every game anyway, and have a month to prepare.
"It is a tough fixture, but I believe we have the quality and characteristics to qualify. Of course we wanted a better result tonight, but we have the potential to score in Naples.
"We believe in our chances and tonight’s performance should give our players more belief too."
