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Football Insider

Furious Scott McTominay Calls Out Napoli Team-mates After Disappointing Draw

Scott McTominay expresses his frustration as Napoli fails to secure a crucial win against 10-man Copenhagen, jeopardizing their Champions League hopes. Manager Antonio Conte also voices concerns about the team's performance in Europe.

Furious Scott McTominay Calls Out Napoli Team-mates After Disappointing Draw

Scott McTominay has branded Napoli's performance "unacceptable" after the Serie A champions failed to beat 10-man Copenhagen, leaving their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread. The Scotland international scored but was left fuming as his side threw away the lead, with manager Antonio Conte warning that the team's level might not be high enough for Europe following a "huge" missed opportunity.McTominay did not hold back in his assessment of Napoli’s 1-1 draw against Copenhagen on Tuesday night, labelling the result "unacceptable." The Italian champions were handed a golden opportunity to secure vital points when Thomas Delaney was sent off for the hosts early on. McTominay capitalised immediately, firing Napoli into a 1-0 lead less than four minutes later.However, the Partenopei failed to kill the game off and were punished by a second-half equaliser from Jordan Larsson. The draw leaves Napoli languishing in 23rd place in the league phase table, dangerously close to elimination with just one game remaining. "We should have won that game, it’s unacceptable," a visibly angry McTominay told Sky Sport. "We should have scored the second and third goals to close out the game... It’s really disappointing that we didn’t."The result is compounded by a severe injury crisis that has stripped the squad of its biggest stars. Napoli were without Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Amir Rrahmani and David Neres in Denmark. While acknowledging the crisis, McTominay refused to use it as a crutch. "We’ve had a lot of injuries, it’s rare, but we’ve still tried to improve game by game," he noted.The stakes could not be higher for their final league phase fixture, where they face a daunting test against Chelsea. It is now a do-or-die scenario to reach the play-off rounds. "Chelsea are an excellent team," McTominay added. "We have to try and give everything to improve in the Champions League as well."Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Napoli coach Conte was even more scathing than his midfielder, questioning whether his squad is currently good enough for Europe’s elite competition. "I think there must be disappointment because it was a match that had been put in the best conditions to be won," Conte told Sky Sport. "We could have a thousand excuses but today they are not good enough... We have demonstrated – for the fourth consecutive time – that we struggle especially away from home in the Champions League."He continued: "There is disappointment because we didn't manage to do this, it means that the level at this moment is perhaps not for this competition... we only have eight points. Today we have to make a huge mea culpa, everyone. These are games you have to bring home, full stop. We had an important opportunity... Instead we made it an uphill battle for ourselves."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingThe draw means Napoli have made life incredibly difficult for themselves. Conte admitted they had wasted a perfect situation. "We look, as always, to do our best with the players we have available," the coach said regarding the upcoming fixtures. "Today we could have done much better... We had everything and we managed to ruin it for ourselves, this must make us reflect. Beyond the objective difficulties that were there today, the match had to be brought home. Period."

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McTominay's Outburst

Following Napoli's disappointing 1-1 draw with Copenhagen, Scott McTominay did not mince words in criticizing his team's performance. Despite taking the lead early on, Napoli failed to capitalize on their one-man advantage and ultimately conceded a late equalizer. McTominay labeled the result as 'unacceptable' and expressed his disappointment at not being able to secure all three points.

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Injury Crisis

Adding to Napoli's woes is a severe injury crisis that has sidelined key players such as Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and others. Despite the setbacks, McTominay emphasized that the team has been striving to improve and refused to cite injuries as an excuse for their lackluster performance.

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Do-or-Die Against Chelsea

With their Champions League fate hanging in the balance, Napoli faces a must-win scenario in their upcoming fixture against Chelsea. McTominay acknowledged the challenge posed by the English side and stressed the importance of giving their all to progress in the competition.

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Conte's Critique

Napoli coach Antonio Conte echoed McTominay's frustration, questioning the squad's ability to compete at the highest level in Europe. Conte expressed disappointment at their missed opportunity against Copenhagen and emphasized the need for self-reflection and improvement moving forward.

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Tough Lessons Learned

The drawn match against Copenhagen has left Napoli in a precarious position, with Conte lamenting the team's inability to capitalize on favorable circumstances. As they prepare for crucial fixtures ahead, Napoli must rally together and show resilience in their pursuit of Champions League success.

Published on Jan 21, 2026