In 2021, led by Spalletti, the team was eliminated by Fiorentina, and last year, it was Cremonese. Yesterday Frosinone…
The Coppa Italia has become a nightmare for the southerners. For three consecutive years, Napoli has been eliminated in the round of 16, where the opponents are sometimes considered ‘easy’ for the seeded teams. The 4-0 defeat against Frosinone at the Maradona Stadium, humiliating both the first and second-choice players available to Walter Mazzarri, was certainly painful. However, this is not a new sensation. In the two previous seasons, the Blues were caught off guard, experiencing stunning exclusions.
SPALLETTI AND COPPA ITALIA
It was easier to forgive such missteps under the leadership of Luciano Spalletti, the architect of the third historical Serie A title. But, in fact, almost no one will recall when Fiorentina scored 5 against Napoli in January 2021, 3 of which came in extra time after a 2-2 draw in regulation. Similarly, last season, the team was eliminated from the cup by Cremonese – the second to last team of the previous season. At least on that occasion, penalties were needed to secure a magical night for the outsider. This time, however, the fall was so resounding that it erased in one fell swoop all the progress that seemed to have been made by Mazzarri in the recent period. The first triumph of the De Laurentiis era was the Coppa Italia won with Walter on the bench in 2012. Those times seem distant today.
