Thorsby: “We fought until the very end”

Morten Thorsby thought he had drawn Samp level with Napoli with just 15 minutes to play on Sunday, only to see his effort chalked off by VAR. The decision came at a crucial moment in the match and the Partenopei went on to double their advantage and secure all three points.

Speaking after the game, the Norwegian showed understandable disappointment with the VAR call: “For me it was a fair challenge – I got there first and I don’t think it was a foul. It’s a shame because it would have made it 1-1 at an important moment of the match.

“It’s a pity, because we fought until the very end. There were lots of chances for both sides in the game. Napoli are a team in good form, but we’re doing well too. We competed with them.”

He added: “Ultimately, Napoli were better in the decisive moments of the match. That’s football. It’s a shame because we played well.

“I can play with everyone – I know all the players well. [Jakub] Jankto is a different kind of player. In the first half, we made a slightly lacklustre start but I was happy with how we did in the second period.”