Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne was caught on camera as he lashed out at his teammates in the final moments of the match against Sassuolo. The striker mouthed off at the defenders after the referee awarded a very late penalty kick to the Neroverdi as Kostas Manolas collided with Lukas Haraslin. Coach Gennaro Gattuso intervened to quiet down his player, who went on to kick away a water bottle, Repubblica reported.
Insigne had converted a penalty on the other box just a couple of minutes earlier for what looked like the game-winner, but Sassuolo managed to create another chance and earned one as well, which Francesco Caputo nailed at the 95th minute to make it three-all. Napoli were looking to return to winning ways on the road after three consecutive losses.
The Italian striker was not the only one to react poorly as president Aurelio De Laurentiis was livid for the late substitutions made by Gattuso, as Manolas and Tiemoué Bakayoko both had a role in the late mishap, Gazzetta dello Sport informed.
His agent Vincenzo Pisacane addressed the situation in an interview with Radio Punto Nuovo: “I think it was a normal reaction given what happened. He always loses three times whenever Napoli is not successful, as a captain, a player and a fan. He demands the best from himself and his teammates. He did not insult anybody, but simply yelled some swear words because they threw away the victory at the last second. I am proud to represent a player and a man like him.”