Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti lauded his side for keeping their focus despite having one foot in the next round during their 2-0 victory over FC Zurich on Thursday.
The result means the Azzurri are through to the Round of 16 in the Europa League, thanks in large part to their 3-1 victory from the first leg.
Ancelotti praised his players for taking Thursday’s match seriously despite entering with a healthy advantage, while also singling out goalscorer Adam Ounas.
“We achieved our goal so I am happy,” he told Sky Sport Italia after the match. “The most important part of these kind of games is to take them seriously, regardless of the result.
“We didn’t do anything special but we showed our professionalism.
“[Adam] Ounas did something special for his goal, and he can do that when he has the ball. There aren’t many that are able to do that, and he is one of the few that can.
“He must make the most of the talent he has and these opportunities.”
Despite the 2-0 victory, Ancelotti couldn’t help but feel that Napoli missed too many chances.
“There is a bit [of bad luck],” he added. “We’ve created a lot of chances recently and received little.
“There is a bit of bad luck, but if we focus on that then our work here is done.
“The positive thing is that there isn’t any selfishness happening. Instead, there might be too much altruism.”
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com