|
The wife of Napoli and Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne has slammed the attitude of the Serie A club's supporters after they jeered her husband on Tuesday night. When Insigne was substituted in the second half of Napoli's 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League playoff, a chorus of boos and whistles accompanied his exit from the field. He reacted by raising his arm several times towards them, inviting them to make even more noise, before throwing his shirt to the ground and appearing to hide some tears as he covered his head while sitting on the bench. It is not the first time Insigne, who was born and raised in Naples, has been a victim of the fans' frustration -- earning criticism when he refused to speak to them at the team's official presentation earlier this month. According to his wife Jenny Darone, it could be the last time. "You don't deserve him in Naples," she wrote on Instagram. "He gets it wrong today and you're ready to point the finger at him, and then he scores tomorrow and he's a Saint!" Insigne made his professional debut with Napoli in 2009 before spending spells on loan at Cavese, Foggia and Pescara, where he flourished under Zdenek Zeman, scoring 18 goals in Serie B before returning to Napoli. In his first season with his hometown club, Insigne scored five goals in 37 appearances, netting only twice last term but still earning a place on Cesare Prandelli's Italy squad for the World Cup. He appeared only briefly in Brazil, during the 1-0 group stage defeat to Costa Rica, but struggled to deliver his best on Tuesday night, under the watching eyes of new Italy coach Antonio Conte. "He's a lad who feels the pressure from the fans," Napoli coach Rafael Benitez told Sky Sport Italia on Tuesday night. "Sometimes it's not easy for him in such big games to keep his emotions in check."
|
