Napoli beat Juventus 4-2 on penalties to win sixth Italian Cup
Napoli stunned Juventus 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to claim the Coppa Italia on Wednesday and bring their fiery coach Gennaro Gattuso the first major trophy of his managerial career.
Paulo Dybala and Danilo missed Juve`s first two efforts in the shootout while Napoli converted all their attempts to win the trophy for the sixth time and end Juve`s hopes of securing the treble this season.
It was the first title to be settled in the Italian season which has just restarted after a three-month hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although it had been planned for the players to collect their own medals in a “self-service” ceremony, the Napoli players received theirs from the respective club presidents Aurelio De Laurentiis and Andrea Agnelli.
It was a remarkable achievement for 42-year-old Gattuso, who took over Napoli in December with the team in disarray after the players had rebelled against a week-long training camp imposed on them by De Laurentiis.
“Football has given me so much and that is why I have so much passion for it,” Gattuso said. “It`s something I can`t let go of, not even for a second. Those of who have this job must have respect for it because we`re lucky. I want to see people who put passion into it, I want a sense of belonging and respect.”
Napoli could have won without penalties but were defied by an outstanding double save from Gianluigi Buffon in stoppage time.
The 42-year-old Juventus goalkeeper blocked Nikola Maksimovic`s powerful header and turned Eljif Elmas` effort from the rebound onto the post from point-blank range.
Napoli had the best chances throughout the game while Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo saw little of the ball and had a frustrating evening.
Lorenzo Insigne hit the post with a 30-metre free kick in the first half and saw another effort stopped by Buffon, while Arkadiusz Milik could also have won it for Napoli but sent a shot over the bar.
Juventus, who have drawn both their games 0-0 since the restart, lead Serie A, in which they are chasing a ninth successive title. Both teams are still in the Champions League.
