Gennaro Gattuso hailed the ‘God of football’ after he lifted his first coaching trophy as Napoli beat Juventus 4-2 on penalties to win the Italian Cup for the sixth time on Wednesday.
The final had ended
0-0 in an empty Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Paulo Dybala and
Danilo both missed their spot-kicks for record 13-times Italian Cup champions
Juventus with Arkadiusz Milik slotting in the winner for Napoli past veteran
keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
It is the first
trophy for the southerners since 2014, and also a maiden coaching trophy for
Gattuso, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti in December.
For former Italy
World Cup winner Gattuso his first coaching success comes after the death of
his 37-year-old sister Francesca from a rare illness.
“In life you cannot
accept some things, but football has given me a lot and a great passion,” said
the 42-year-old former AC Milan great.
“I feel I have a
great responsibility. I know I cannot give up and I have never done in my
career.
“I saw a team
tonight that wanted to win, we deserved it.
“There’s a God of
football, who makes you reap all that you’ve sown.
“I am proud of what
my lads have done. Now we must continue with this spirit also in the
championship, to recover the disadvantage.”
Napoli have been
reborn under Gattuso and are now sixth in the league table as they target the
Champions League places when Serie A returns this weekend after a three-month
absence due to the coronavirus.
But the defeat was
a worrying sign for Maurizio Sarri’s Juventus, who also lost the Italian SuperCup
final last December to Lazio.
The 61-year-old
former Napoli coach had also been chasing his first coaching trophy in Italy,
and second in his career after leading Chelsea to the Europa League last
season.
“There is
disappointment for the lads, for the club, for the fans,” said Sarri.
“At this moment we
lack brilliance to make the game dangerous, and without that brilliance, it
becomes more difficult.”
