Gennaro Gattuso believes the current penalty rules are not fit for purpose, but was angrier with Napoli for ‘scoring too few goals and conceding too many’ against Milan.

This was the first time Gattuso had faced his former club as a coach, having spent so many years there as both player and tactician, but he put emotions aside for an entertaining 2-2 draw.

“It was my first time facing Milan, the club that made me a player, a man and of course it was an emotional moment.”

Gennaro Gattuso believes the current penalty rules are not fit for purpose, but was angrier with Napoli for ‘scoring too few goals and conceding too many’ against Milan.

This was the first time Gattuso had faced his former club as a coach, having spent so many years there as both player and tactician, but he put emotions aside for an entertaining 2-2 draw.

“It was my first time facing Milan, the club that made me a player, a man and of course it was an emotional moment.”

Theo Hernandez had put Milan in front, then Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Dries Mertens turned it around, only for a Franck Kessie penalty to seal the 2-2 result.

“Don’t ask me about the penalty, because I won’t give an answer. You be the judge,” Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia.

“As for handball, I cannot think of a player who jumps or moves with his arms behind his back. It’s a different sport. I think we’ve hit a record in Serie A for penalties awarded for handball and the rule needs to be changed. Those of us who played the sport know you need your arms when jumping.

“There’s been constant talk about it for two years and nothing seems to change. What I do get angry with is my players for needing six or seven chances to score.

“It’s not just the strikers, but also the wide men, the midfielders. We create so many opportunities and don’t finish enough of them off. That is where we must improve.

“If we analyse the post-COVID period of the season, we have the chances, but aren’t scoring as regularly as we should. That is obvious. It’s called a hot zone in the statistics, you can see Milan had very few scoring opportunities and yet they converted both of them.

“Considering what we create, we score too few goals and concede too many. That is happening fairly regularly. If the first press doesn’t work after seven or eight seconds, we have to track back and make it solid, which we don’t do enough.

“We’re trying to do something a little different and we’re not perfect yet, as we tend to risk waves of counter-attacks, so we end up four against four, or five against five.”

Jose Callejon extended his contract to the end of the season, but is there really no hope he will remain at Napoli?

“It’s a question for the President and the director of sport. They know what I think, but these decisions are down to the general approach and policy of the club.”

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