By Daily Sports on June 18, 2020
Napoli stunned Juventus when they won 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 coaching career.
Paulo Dybala and Danilo missed Juve's first two efforts in the shootout while Napoli converted all of their attempts to win the trophy for the sixth time while also ending Juve's hopes of winning 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 the De Laurentiis.
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 from in the 72nd minute. (Reuters)
•PHOTO: Napoli players
Source Daily Sports
Posted June 18, 2020
You may also like...
FC Taraba matches suspended for owing players
Clean sweep for Team Nigeria in sambo
ATP Finals: Djokovic On Course To Match Federer's...
Iceland plots Nigeria’s fall after taming Messi and...
Confed Cup: Enyimba In Make-Or-Mar Clash With Orlando...
No Decision On Rashford — Solskjaer
Musa dents Rivers title hopes as Rangers go top
Nwabali linked with Kaizer Chiefs, Simba SC
New winners emerge at Osun national table tennis tourney
Ex-int’l Disu optimistic ahead SAMDA U-13 tourney
Edun convenes emergency meeting over NBF, NBBofC crisis
Usyk backs Joshua to defeat Fury
FIBA seeds D’Tigress in pot 2 for World Cup draw
Global interest peaks ahead of Okpekpe 10km race
AFN open to Ofili’s return after failed Turkey switch
Junior Aruna wins WTT Youth Contender France silver
Sporting Lagos secure NPFL return
Lookman powers Atletico into UCL semi-final
Most Read
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,711 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,039 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,960 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,558 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,485 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,389 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,242 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,787 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,977 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,485 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,898 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,362 views)