Relegated Parma accused Napoli of belittling their side and expecting an easy win after battling to a 2-2 draw in Serie A on Sunday.

Tempers flared at the end when Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain and Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante had to be pulled apart by other players when they squared up.

Afterwards, Parma forward Raffaele Palladino said Napoli players, who are chasing a place in the Champions League next season, had labelled his team as “failures”.

“We heard unfair and scandalous words, from players and directors of Napoli,” Palladino told reporters.

“We were told that we were failures, that we had been relegated and we shouldn’t be playing with cunning and determination.

“Football should not go in this direction, football has to change,” he added. “It should be normal for a team to play a match like we did today, honouring this shirt with professionalism.

“Maybe Napoli thought the would come to the Tardini (stadium) and that the match would be handed to them on a plate. But we don’t give presents to anyone.”

Parma are bottom of the table after being declared bankrupt and being deducted seven points for financial irregularities.

The players have not been paid all season and the team have only been able to carry on in the championship after a special fund was set up by the Italian football federation.

Parma coach Roberto Donadoni told television reporters: “What happened at the end of the game was really unpleasant, at the side of the pitch you could hear what the players and officials of Napoli were saying.

“If we have decided to continue with this championship, it’s to give everything on the pitch and not lose every game 3-0 or 4-0.

“To be told that we had to lose the game because we failed is shameful, indecent and disgusting.

“The really dramatic thing is when you hear it from directors. To see people, who should have a certain balance, stoop so low is tragic.”

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez and his players again refused to talk to the media as part of a press blackout imposed by club president Aurelio Di Laurentiis.

However, the club said on Twitter that the only complaints were about time-wasting.

“All the protests at the end of the match were exclusively about time-wasting. None of the protests concerned the effort of Parma, which was obviously impeccable.”