Carlo Ancelotti accuses his Napoli squad of having an ‘attitude problem’

Carlo Ancelotti has accused his squad of having an ‘attitude problem’ after Sunday’s defeat by relegation-threatened Bologna left them without a win in eight games.

The Serie A giants have been in crisis for more than a month, with controversial owner Aurelio De Laurentiis fining players a total of £2million after they refused to attend a training camp he had ordered in the wake of a Champions League draw at home to Red Bull Salzburg.

Last week’s spirited 1-1 draw away at Liverpool hinted at better times to come, but Ancelotti’s men were disappointing again as they went down 2-1 at home to struggling Bologna.

Napoli’s players appear dejected after seeing their winless run extended to eight games 

The former Chelsea boss insists that his players are still behind him despite a terrible run of form, but he concedes that their heads are not in the right place with issues off the pitch still hitting the headlines. 

‘The team is against the coach, they say. But it isn’t so,’ Ancelotti said after Sunday’s game.

‘I have an excellent relationship with the squad. No one has ever failed to respect me. I don’t see any friction between the players and us

‘We exchange ideas every day, the situation must be resolved quickly, because we are failing badly.

Dries Mertens reacts during Sunday’s defeat, which left Napoli 17 points behind leaders Inter

Fernando Llorente celebrates after giving Napoli the lead, but they threw it away late on

‘It’s not a problem of tactics, more of an attitude problem. Three days ago we showed great solidity against Liverpool, and we played with three midfielders.

‘We have conceded many goals, it’s true, we need solidity, but it is the mental aspect that must be improved by taking even a smidgen of responsibility.

‘The fans are disappointed and I can only agree with them. I must be more lucid in order to resolve this situation.’