Juventus' Coppa Italia defeat by Napoli is a 'DISASTER' for Maurizio Sarri

  /  autty

Maurizio Sarri is in the firing line once again after Juventus' defeat by Napoli in Wednesday night's Coppa Italia final left him facing a 'disaster'.

The Serie A champions were beaten on penalties at Rome's Stadio Olimpico after being held to a 0-0 draw by Dries Mertens and Co.

But after another woeful attacking display, Sarri has come in for more criticism from the Italian media, who have warned that he cannot afford any more slip-ups.

Tuttosport branded the result a 'Sarri disaster' on their front page and described Juventus as being 'disappointing and hardly ever dangerous'.

They also point out that this is the second trophy Sarri has missed out on since taking charge last summer after Juve finished as runners-up in the Italian Super Cup following a defeat by Lazio last December.

Corriere dello Sport, meanwhile, say that Sarri has been 'left in a corner' after failing to lift his first major trophy in Italy on Wednesday night.

Elsewhere, the former Chelsea boss is warned that he 'can't make any mistakes in the league' by La Gazzetta dello Sport when the season resumes this week.

Sarri's men are just one point clear of Lazio in the race for the title with 12 games left to play, while Inter Milan will be within six points of them if they win their game in hand.

Gazzetta also take aim at Juventus' efforts in attack - they have drawn both of their games 0-0 since the restart - saying 'the Bianconeri don't score anymore'.

Cristiano Ronaldo is picked out for criticism too, with the front page declaring that he had 'disappointed' with his performance.

Speaking after the match, Sarri admitted the Portuguese superstar is still not up to full speed as he continues to work his way back to top gear following the coronavirus shutdown.

'He's in the same shape as the others, like Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa, he is lacking the sharpness to do what works best for him,' he told RAI.

'I didn't say much to the players after the game. I was angry and disappointed just like them, so at these moments it's best to stay silent.'

Sarri also laid into his squad after they produced another dismal performance in front of goal.

He added: 'There is disappointment for the boys, for the club, for the fans, but this is a particular moment, both for the physical condition and for some important absence.

'We made different choices than usual, pressing less high to have a better grip at a distance and we played the game with good levels of application.

'Right now, however, we lack brilliance and without that brilliance it becomes more difficult to beat the man, which our players are usually used to doing easily, and finding other solutions.

'Two 0-0s are an unprecedented fact and I think it is characteristic of this period.'

Related: Juventus Napoli Ronaldo Sarri
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