Luciano Spalletti reacted to Napoli’s unexpected 4-0 defeat at home to AC Milan on Sunday evening at the Stadio Maradona.
“We didn’t play in the way that we know. The performance was far below our usual standards.
“Milan played really well, showed what they’re capable of and fully deserve credit. They made good use of space and after they took the lead, our desire to get back into it ended up stretching our team.
“The performance was below our usual standards. There’s nothing else to say. We forced the play and didn’t show our quality in the way that we usually do.
“Unfortunately, we suffered from the players going on international duty. It certainly had an impact on our performance. The players have heart and always give their all in terms of commitment, but it can’t be denied that some of them came back tired.
“We can now look ahead and we’ll be sure to take stock in a calm manner. Everyone said we were favourites against AC Milan over two legs in the Champions League and maybe they’ll now say something different.
“Playing under the lights in European competition is certainly something that gets the best out of everyone. The players will give everything they have and it’ll certainly be a tie that we approach with total commitment.”
