Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published on Sunday, 08 February 2026, 07:38 / Updated on Sunday, 08 February 2026 07:38
The coach of Genoa, Daniele De Rossi, reacted after the failure of his team in front of Napoli (2-3), from a penalty awarded in extra time of the game.
When the game looked like it was heading for a draw, “central” Davide Massa dictated a shot from 11 meters for the champions Napoli in the last phase of the match. The referee sanctioned an intervention by Cornet on Vergara, and Hojlund converted with great emotions: 2-3.
Daniele De Rossi: “I don't know what to say anymore”
But for Daniele De Rossi, that penalty is far from clear and points the finger at Massa. “I don't know what else to say, we don't know what an obvious mistake means, if we have to step on the foot or not. The football I played no longer exists. We were naive, I don't know anything anymore, I don't know what sport I'm training in anymore”, commented the coach of Genoa, in front of the cameras of the station DAZN.
Cornet (Genoa) steps on Vergara / Photo: capture
And he didn't stop there: “A colleague of mine on the staff was right. We complain about everything, we always want to get an advantage out of these distorted rules. I didn't speak to the referee after the game. And I don't want to see the penalty kick awarded to Napoli again. It leaves a bitter taste.”
Antonio Vergara: “I said to myself, 'Oh, what a joy!'”
Antonio Vergara, who took the penalty, has no doubt that he was fouled. “I was absolutely sure it was a penalty, I felt I touched it and I said 'Oh, what a joy!'. It was important to win, and the victory in the 95th minute, with a man down, is worth double,” commented the Napoli player.
Napoli are 6 points behind leaders Inter, who play on Sunday, but Vergara insists his side are not giving up: “We're not giving up an inch, we're a fantastic group, you see this all the time. We all go through difficult times, but the key is to bounce back and do it all together.”
