Maurizio Sarri warned Napoli “cannot have strong ambitions” if they keep dropping leads against Empoli, but blamed the fixture list for Roma’s troubles.
The Partenopei had a comfortable 3-0 lead through a Lorenzo Insigne brace and Dries Mertens free kick, despite Lukasz Skorupski parrying a Mertens penalty.
Empoli staged a surprise late comeback through Omar El Kaddouri and Massimo Maccarone’s spot-kick.
Maurizio Sarri warned Napoli “cannot have strong ambitions” if they keep dropping leads against Empoli, but blamed the fixture list for Roma’s troubles.
The Partenopei had a comfortable 3-0 lead through a Lorenzo Insigne brace and Dries Mertens free kick, despite Lukasz Skorupski parrying a Mertens penalty.
Empoli staged a surprise late comeback through Omar El Kaddouri and Massimo Maccarone’s spot-kick.
“That’s just what we’re like,” shrugged Sarri in his Press conference after the 3-2 win.
“We came back out for the second half and after 20 minutes we assumed the game was over. We became passive and therefore ran a huge risk.
“It’s a limitation we have already shown on other occasions, but we are working on it and hope we can improve this. There are many positive aspects in a stadium where Napoli had never won before, such as an excellent first half.
“At the end of a game, a Coach has to shut up and see how his players react, to understand if they’ve got the right mentality. Some enter the locker room happy, others swear a big, there are those who are really angry. Some were truly livid today, so hopefully the rest of the group can cling to those in a ferocious mood.
“We are growing, but a team that plays a second half like this cannot have strong ambitions. If it happens four or five times a year, that’s a massive risk.
“We probably would’ve conceded an equaliser if it had lasted an extra 10 minutes. Until we resolve this problem, we cannot bridge the gap with the top teams.
“I was glad to see an Empoli side that never gave in and I knew they’d do that. I hope it is a good signal for them to pick up points for the future.
“It’s an enormous difference when it comes to playing at 12.30pm in December or January to March. If it had been a sunnier day today, it would’ve been like Hell.
“They gave us a few games at 12.30, it might be a coincidence, but it is really annoying. There’s no respect for Napoli, nor for Roma, who went out of the Europa League due to the fixture list.
“Roma dominated Lyon for three out of four halves over two legs and the complete responsibility for their exit is down to the Lega Serie A.”