Max Allegri was left enraged after Napoli’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Roma, questioning how match officials treated him after he was sent off for dissent. The coach insisted he had said nothing that warranted the red card and sarcastically suggested he might be better off staying away from the touchline entirely.
Napoli built a 2-0 lead through Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay, but Roma responded with goals from Matias Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi inside five minutes. McTominay put Napoli back in front from distance to make it 3-2, only for Balerdi to level with a late header. Allegri and his players felt Sam Beukema had been fouled by Balerdi in the build-up.
Allegri sent off after Napoli 3-3 Roma thriller
“The fourth official called the referee and got me sent off, but I said absolutely nothing,” Allegri told DAZN Italia. He complained that he was repeatedly punished for moving on the touchline, while other coaches seemed able to approach the pitch without similar consequences.
“Next time I will have to sit on the bench and not move, because every time I move, I get sent off,” he said, adding that he had paid €80,000 in fines last season. Allegri sarcastically thanked fourth official Saccani before congratulating his players on their performance.
Despite his anger over the ending, Allegri felt Napoli had played well against a strong opponent, including defensively. He pointed to their opportunities to extend the lead to 3-0 and their 3-2 advantage before conceding again, insisting that maintaining the same spirit would help the team climb the table.
Napoli defensive problems and Allegri’s tactical response
Napoli supporters have become increasingly frustrated with the goals their team is conceding. The 3-3 draw followed a 4-3 Champions League victory over Bodo/Glimt, while Napoli had taken only one point from their previous two Serie A matches, having lost 3-1 to bottom-placed Venezia before dropping their lead against Roma.
The result also meant Napoli had yet to record consecutive victories in any competition this season. Allegri acknowledged that the team had dropped too many points and admitted that his anger over the late equaliser was affecting his ability to assess the match clearly.
Asked about the number of goals Napoli were conceding despite his reputation for defensive football, Allegri responded sarcastically that he had changed his approach and was now focused on attack. He added that he had tried to use four forwards whenever possible since the start of the season.
Hojlund drought and Badiashile injury update
Rasmus Hojlund has now gone eight competitive appearances without scoring for Napoli. Allegri defended the striker’s contribution, saying he had worked for the team and found himself in three favourable situations during the match, including a first-half header. The coach remained confident that a goal would eventually come.
Napoli also suffered an injury concern when Benoit Badiashile limped off with a muscular problem in the second half. Allegri said the club would assess the issue over the following 48 hours.
Asked whether he viewed the situation as a glass half-full or half-empty, Allegri declined to offer a clear verdict. He said that, for the first time in 25 years, he was not in the right state of mind to provide a definitive assessment of the match, ending the interview by apologising and wishing reporters a good night.