Napoli leave the Roma match with encouragement from their performance but another layer of frustration around Massimiliano Allegri, whose dismissal in the 90th minute brought a tense evening to a close. The coach praised what his side produced, yet made clear that the wider circumstances had left him angry and, by his own admission, not fully composed.
Allegri’s anger after the Roma finish
Allegri was sent off late in the match and spoke bluntly afterwards about an episode he felt was harshly judged. He said he had remained silent after standing up from the bench, only for the fourth official to summon the referee and for the red card to follow.
- “I am pleased with the performance, but angry about everything else,” Allegri said.
- He added that, after 25 years in the game, he did not feel clear-headed on the night.
- On the dismissal, he said that next time he might simply remain seated, insisting he had not said anything when he rose from the bench.
- Allegri joked that any fine would again be put towards charity.
The coach’s frustration did not end at the final whistle. A loud exchange in the dressing-room area, away from television cameras, has come to the attention of the federal prosecutor’s office.
A side searching for continuity
The Roma display, like the earlier meeting with Bodø/Glimt, offered signs that Napoli may be moving towards a more stable phase. Yet the season has not settled into the consistency Allegri needs, either in results or in the team’s overall balance.
Napoli have repeatedly shown they can create strong passages of play, only to undermine that work through lapses that have cost them dearly. The sense around the club is also that key incidents have rarely fallen in their favour.
Injuries have added another complication from the opening training camp onwards. Benoît Badiashile is the latest concern, arriving just as his form had begun to improve significantly. Against Roma, his new partnership with Rafa Marín gave Napoli physicality and solidity against a dangerous forward line, making the setback particularly untimely.
Defensive concerns before a demanding week
The issue is not limited to Badiashile. Amir Rrahmani is coming back from influenza and has endured an uneven spell, while Giovanni Di Lorenzo is not at full fitness. Those concerns arrive before three difficult away fixtures that could shape Napoli’s direction in both Serie A and the Champions League.
- Wednesday: Monza away.
- Sunday: Juventus away in Turin.
- 4 November: Porto away in the Champions League.
Allegri gave his players a rest day after the Roma match, with no training scheduled as the squad and staff spent time with their families. It was a pause after an exhausting run of games following the first extended international break, though the calendar offers little real relief.
Monza and the need for an away result
Napoli will travel to Monza with a clear objective: to win away from home for the first time in 67 days. Their only victory on the road in that period came at Genoa’s Marassi, and the trip to Monza now begins a sequence that will test the squad’s depth, resilience and ability to turn promising performances into points.
