Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
A frustrated Massimiliano Allegri called Rasmus Hojlund “pig-headed” following Napoli’s 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Serie A.
The Napoli boss made the remarks after seeing Alex Jimenez cancel out Billy Gilmour’s 23rd-minute volley on Sunday.
Hojlund, who made his 50th appearance for Napoli in all competitions, was surprisingly substituted in the 58th minute, with Lorenzo Lucca coming on to replace him.
The former Manchester United striker had one shot in the contest, with an expected goals (xG) of 0.03, while only touching the ball on 12 occasions.
When asked why he took the Danish striker off early, Allegri said, “He worked hard, but there are moments in a game where you have difficulties.
“He got a bit pig-headed at points. We need to work on our limitations, because if we only assume we’re better than the opponents, we’ll pay the price.
“That is something we absolutely must improve.”
Allegri, however, warned his side “need to feel angry” if they are to achieve success this season.
“I thought it was a good technical performance; there were two incidents off the crossbar, but at times we need to be more determined in front of goal at both ends,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.
“We might be growing, but if we don’t leave the field angry today, then it means we’ve still got a very long way to go.
“Having lots of possession isn’t enough, and we ought to be creating and converting more scoring opportunities.”
Full time: #FiorentinaNapoli 1-1 #ProudToBeNapoli https://t.co/E4MtoaJ9Yy
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) September 20, 2026
Meanwhile, Fiorentina boss Paolo Vanoli was happy to see his side fight back to earn a point.
The Italian, who recently replaced former manager Fabio Grosso in the dugout, reserved special praise for Real Madrid loanee Franco Mastantuono, who sparkled for the hosts.
After scoring a hat-trick against Venezia in La Viola’s previous league outing, the Argentine was unable to find the back of the net in Florence.
However, Mastantuono still posed a threat to Napoli’s defence, as he attempted four shots with one on target, and created four chances.
On Mastantuono, Vanoli said, “I saw the talent from the outside, but there was no team. Now I’m seeing Mastantuono making sacrificial runs and that has to become the norm. Look at Lautaro [Martinez] yesterday.
“Champions shouldn’t just be measured on their goals, but in how they help their teammates. The players have understood that.
“These are very important signs for a boy who will go far.”
Fiorentina are now unbeaten in three consecutive matches across all competitions (W2 D1); they last achieved this within a single season during the final three games under Vanoli last May in Serie A (W1 D2).
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