Mazzarri blames tired Napoli for draw

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said his players had been nowhere near their best in Monday’s 1-1 draw with Bologna.

The hosts fell behind to an early goal from Robert Aquafresca and only salvaged a point thanks to a late penalty from striker Edinson Cavani.

“Too many of us were not at our best,” Mazzarri told Sky Sport Italia.

“A lot of teams in the last while that have come to Naples have battened down the hatches and this has never gone well for us.”

“We fell behind because of a glaring error in defence. But the whole team was below-par.”

Mazzarri also admitted his squad was a little overstretched and suffering from fatigue.

“We have so many South Americans who have made long trips during the holidays and then some have come back late,” he said.

“But despite everything, even today we had the chance to bring home the game.”

Meanwhile, visiting boss Stefano Pioli was full of praise for his relegation-threatened side but questioned the decision to penalise Diego Perez for handling Gokhan Inler’s strike on goal.

“We gave an excellent performance,” he said.

“It is not easy to come to Naples and hold off such a strong opponent.”

“The team has been able to hold its position on the field and maintain its compactness.”

“Unfortunately, the referee penalised us. The rules are clear: a handball in the area must be intentional and I do not think that my player we’ve done it voluntarily.”

The draw means that Napoli remain sixth in the standings, while Bologna climb to 16th.