Mazzarri withdraws from Italian Super Cup ceremony, criticizes refereeing after Napoli’s loss

Napoli’s boss Walter Mazzarri expressed his frustration with the officiating during his team’s 1-0 loss to Inter in the Italian Super Cup.

This defeat marked the second time Mazzarri refused to attend the trophy ceremony after losing the Super Cup with Napoli, the first being in 2012.

Throughout the game, Mazzarri was visibly displeased with the decisions made by referee Antonio Rapuano.

He was particularly vocal about a challenge on Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, stating, “This is shocking, you cannot ignore that foul. Let’s go, let’s leave,” Football Italia reported.

Mazzarri’s dissatisfaction with the officiating continued when Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu received a yellow card after several rough tackles, with Napoli arguing that he should have been booked earlier or even sent off.

The height of his annoyance came when Napoli’s Giovanni Simeone was sent off for two yellow cards, prompting a strong reaction from Mazzarri on the sidelines.

When Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal for Inter in the 91st minute, Mazzarri stormed off the pitch and did not return for the trophy ceremony. His entire coaching staff also boycotted the event.

Meanwhile, this was not the first time Mazzarri had chosen to boycott an Italian Super ceremony due to controversial refereeing decisions.

In a previous encounter with Juventus, Mazzarri and the Napoli squad similarly refused to participate in the ceremony, leaving the opposing team to celebrate alone.

Despite Mazzarri’s absence from the post-match events and refusal to speak with the press, Napoli players went ahead to receive their medals.