"Maybe I Shouldn't Be on the Touchline at All" – Allegri's Red Card Fury

Massimiliano Allegri raged over the red card he was shown in the closing moments of Napoli's breathtaking draw with Roma. "Maybe I shouldn't be on the touchline at all anymore," said the experienced coach, who nevertheless believes Napoli have the strength to climb into the upper reaches of the league.

Napoli twice took the lead against Roma but were unable to hold on to their advantage. Goals from Frank Anguissa and Scott McTominay put them 2-0 up by the 48th minute, but they struggled to protect the lead. Matias Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi scored five minutes apart to level the game. McTominay restored Napoli's lead in the 83rd minute with his second goal and his team's third, but Balerdi stepped up once again late on to settle the outcome.

Allegri protested vehemently, arguing that Sam Beukema had been fouled in the build-up to Balerdi's second, equalising goal, and was sent to the stands with a straight red card following a report from the fourth official.

Venting his anger after the match, Allegri said: "The fourth official called the referee over and got me sent off, but I said absolutely nothing."

The experienced coach continued: "Next time I'll sit on the bench and not move from my seat at all, because every time I move, I get sent off. Last season I had to pay a €80,000 fine; maybe from now on I shouldn't be on the touchline at all. I see others running almost onto the pitch and nobody says a word, yet the moment I move, I get punished. Many thanks to the fourth official! As for my players, I congratulate them on their fight."

A win against Roma would have lifted Napoli into the upper positions, but despite an expected goals (xG) advantage of 2.4 to 1.9, they left the pitch with just a point and stayed in 10th place.

Having conceded three goals against Roma following their 4-3 Champions League win over Bodø/Glimt in midweek, Napoli have now let in six goals in two matches, and their defensive frailties are drawing attention.

Assessing his game plan, Allegri said: "I think we played well against a strong opponent, defensively included. We had the chance to make it 3-0; then we went 3-2 up but conceded again. If we keep playing with this spirit, we will climb the table. I've changed my style of play, and we now play in a fully attacking way. Since the start of the season I've even tried to play with four forwards whenever conditions allow. Unfortunately, we've dropped a lot of points along the way. The way the match ended still makes me very angry, so right now I'm finding it hard to assess the game with a clear head."