Napoli have become their own worst enemies after slumping to a 3-2 home Champions League defeat by Besiktas, their third loss in a row in all competitions, their coach Maurizio Sarri said.
Sarri’s side twice came from behind and missed a penalty before conceding a late goal to lose to the Turkish champions.
“We are going through a phase in which we are making matches complicated for ourselves and that is making everything more difficult,” Sarri told reporters following the Group B match.
“The team did well apart from the moments where they lost confidence because of things which happened in the match.
“The missed penalty, for example, affected us for the following 10 minutes.
“We are playing well at times but there is that little nagging worry in our minds which leads to mistakes.”
But Sarri said it was still an improvement on Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Roma in Serie A.
“We have to react and start enjoying our game again without all this worry and pressure, although this was a small step on the road to recovery,” he said.
Napoli finished runners-up in Serie A last season and started well this term, when they were unbeaten in their first eight games.
“People have put a label on us which does not belong,” Sarri said.
“We have rejuvenated the team and so our journey will be longer than anyone thinks.”