Giampaolo lauds Samp in defeat: “We deserved better”

Sampdoria may have been beaten by Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday but they certainly have nothing to be ashamed of after a ballsy display which drew warm praise from coach Marco Giampaolo after the game.

“I’m proud of the way we took on Napoli,” explained Giampaolo after the final whistle. “You have to choose the kind of attitude you want to adopt against teams of this calibre, and the lads were extraordinary today – they were in it right until the end. They showed quality and courage.”

Samp’s performance was not without error, but Giampaolo refused to dwell on the negatives.

“I can’t complain at all,” he said. “We conceded a goal because we were desperate to play it out. It was my Sampdoria again. We deserved better against what is a top side.”