#INSERT type:image caption:Napoli coach Rafael Benitez was criticised by Italian media for his post-match behaviour following the club's loss to Torino. END#
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez gave post-match interviews following his side's 1-0 defeat to Torino short thrift to avoid getting into hot water on Sunday.
The Spaniard hinted that he had been unhappy with the refereeing at the Stadio Olimpico, but he did not want to elaborate in a series of interviews, the first of which with Sky Sport Italia was condemned by studio pundit Massimo Mauro.
"I'm sick of things and I don't want to talk about it," Benitez told the Sky reporter. "I wasn't happy with our first half. I was pleased with our second half, until the mistake which saw us fall behind, but there were a few incidents I was not happy with. I don't want to talk."
The club echoed Benitez's statement via Twitter, quoting Benitez as saying: "I am not going to speak of the episode. I am tired of having to talk about things that don't please me."
#Benitez: non mi va di parlare degli episodi, sono stanco di doverne parlare perché non mi piace
- Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) March 1, 2015
As Benitez made his way to the news conference inside the Olimpico, Mauro said he had been disrespectful by giving a series of monosyllabic replies.
"I think this is a problem for Napoli," Mauro said. "He cannot represent the club this way. Either he will resign or maybe [president Aurelio] De Laurentiis will send him away. I think it's dishonest to want to make people believe that his side lost this game just because of refereeing errors."
Benitez replied in the news conference after being presented with Mauro's studio comments by a reporter.
"I think Mauro has problems with his Italian," Benitez said to the waiting media. "I know what people say about him. I believe I am respectful. I am furious today and annoyed, but if he can't do anything other than talk in TV, that's his problem.
"I'm angry because we lost and played a poor first half. We committed one mistake in the second half which allowed Torino to score and win the game. There were a few incidents I wasn't happy with and that's why I'm angry so I'm not going to say much."
Napoli's second defeat in their last three has seen both Lazio and Fiorentina close to within two and three points respectively in the Serie A standings, while it was also a missed opportunity for the Partenopei to close the gap on second-placed Roma.