Vincenzo Italiano admitted Bologna had failed to “raise our level” during their latest Supercoppa Italiana defeat to “fantastic” Napoli.
The Coppa Italia holders were defeated 2-0 in Riyadh, with David Neres scoring in each half for last season’s Scudetto winners.
Bologna entered the competition for the first time, but after beating Inter on penalties in the semi-finals, they suffered their first ever defeat in a one-match showpiece.
Italiano couldn’t fault the Rossoblu’s efforts but acknowledged they were second best against the Partenopei.
“We tried to do everything we could tonight against a team that performed too well, with Neres playing a great game,” Italiano told Sport Mediaset.
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“Napoli put in a fantastic performance. We gave everything we had but were unable to raise our level to match them. It’s a shame, but these are the games that help a team grow.”
“It’s a shame, but we lost because of a really great performance from our opponents. I don’t regret it tonight because the boys gave everything.”
Napoli’s second title-clinching goal came after Neres intercepted Federico Ravaglia’s loose pass intended for defender Jhon Lucumi, with the striker clipping the ball over the goalkeeper.
Italiano, however, jumped to the defense of his shot-stopper.
“Ravaglia did great things in the last match [against Inter]”, added the Bologna boss.
“He had a hiccup, but that didn’t change anything. He cares so much about this club, it’s like he has the colors of Bologna tattooed on his skin.”
“It’s never easy to reach the final. We’re working on those mistakes so we can improve in the future.”
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