Napoli’s woes escalated on Sunday as they suffered a resounding 3-0 defeat against Torino, prompting fiery protests from disappointed fans and adding to the humiliation for the struggling Serie A champions.
During the match at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, furious supporters hurled flares onto the pitch during Napoli’s dismal performance, leaving them mired in ninth place.
The team’s recent struggles starkly contrast to their historic Scudetto triumph last season, with this defeat marking their third loss in four matches across all competitions.
The absence of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen compounded Napoli’s woes as they failed to score for the fourth consecutive match, presenting a stark contrast to their title-winning form from the previous season.
Napoli’s sporting director, Mauro Meluso, apologized to the fans, acknowledging the team’s poor performance. He stated, “We’re trying to find ways to stimulate the team and get back to some sort of normality.” Meluso, in discussions with coach Walter Mazzarri and the team after the match, affirmed their faith in Mazzarri, dispelling any notions of his dismissal despite the recent struggles.
Antonio Sanabria initiated Torino’s victory with a close-range goal just before halftime.
The situation worsened for Napoli in the 50th minute when debutant Pasquale Mazzocchi received a red card for a reckless challenge on Valentino Lazaro.
Nikola Vlasic extended Torino’s lead two minutes later with a remarkable low strike from outside the box.
Despite missed opportunities for Napoli, Torino sealed an emphatic win in the 66th minute when Alessandro Buongiorno scored a powerful header past goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.
Mazzarri, tasked with addressing Napoli’s issues, finds himself 20 points behind league leaders Inter Milan, highlighting the vast gap between their current predicament and last season’s triumph.
