Sarri backs Higuain after red-card fury

Maurizio Sarri defended Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain after his star striker reacted furiously to being sent off during Sunday's 3-1 loss at Udinese.

Higuain scored his 30th Serie A goal of the season to equalise at Stadio Friuli but a brace from Bruno Fernandes – who converted and missed a pair of first-half penalties – and a Cyril Thereau strike before the hour landed a damaging blow against Napoli's title hopes.

Sarri, who was sent to the stands earlier on by the officials, then watched Higuain turn his fury towards a member of Napoli's coaching staff.

But he told Sky Italia: "Gonzalo is attached to this shirt, he felt the victim of an injustice and reacted with anger.

"I think the Italian league has seen much worse."

"It was a difficult game, Udinese played perhaps their best match of the season," he said.

"It was impossible to do better. We have many South American players who had a single workout with us having spent dozens of hours on the plane.

"The defeat will make us eat anger for a day, but it will also give us the right fuel for the next seven games. We want to end the season at a high level."

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