SSC Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso on Thursday furiously dismissed talk about his future as the Coppa Italia holders advanced to the semi-finals with a 4-2 win over Spezia.
“It really bugs me that every time I’m systematically asked if I intend to resign,” Gattuso told reporters. “I don’t understand why others aren’t always asked this question.”
Gattuso was under fire after losing the Supercoppa Italiana to Juventus and a 3-1 league defeat to Hellas Verona last weekend, with the club sixth in Serie A with a game in hand.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis said that 43-year-old Gattuso had his “full confidence.”
“[De Laurentiis] spoke to the team and reassured me, but there is nothing to reassure,” former AC Milan coach Gattuso said. “I am calm, I don’t need trust and I don’t want to hear questions about resignation.”
“I resigned at Milan, but because I thought I couldn’t do more,” he said. “I’m not resigning. My staff and I give our blood from morning to night, but I don’t get depressed, I’m a badass man. If I get any more irritated, I’ll go coach in Kuwait or something.”
Napoli were four goals up at halftime, with Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly getting the first after five minutes with a backheel off an Elseid Hysaj cross.
Piotr Zielinski sent the ball over the top for Hirving Lozano to fire in the second on 20 minutes, with the Polish midfielder also involved in Matteo Politano’s third goal on the half-hour mark.
Lorenzo Insigne missed a chance before setting up the fourth, with Eljif Elmas beating Spezia goalkeeper Titas Krapikas minutes before halftime.
Vincenzo Italiano’s Serie A newcomers fought back with two goals in a three-minute spell.
Gennaro Acampora teed up Emanuel Gyasi to slide into goal after 70 minutes, with the former Napoli youth player then scoring himself with a low shot from outside the penalty area past a static David Ospina.
Napoli next face Atalanta BC, with Inter taking on Juventus in the other semi-final, which are to be played over two legs on Wednesday next week and Feb. 10.
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