ROME: Napoli beat Juventus 4-2 in a penalty shootout to lift the Italian Cup for the sixth time in an empty Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Arkadiusz Milik scored the winning spot-kick. Paulo Dybala and Danilo both missed their spot-kicks for Juventus.
This followed a hard-fought 0-0 over 90 minutes of few chances, played behind closed doors at the Stadio Olimpico. It is the first trophy for the southerners since 2014.
It gives Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso his first major trophy as a manager. “In life you cannot accept some things, but football has given me a lot and a great passion,” he said.
Organisers had scrapped extra-time to minimise injuries to players as football resumes in Italy after a three-month coronavirus shutdown.
Juventus will look to overcome the disappointment by lifting a ninth straight Scudetto when Serie A restarts, but the win means Napoli automatically qualifies for the Europa League group stage next season.
This is also the first time that Cristiano Ronaldo has lost two finals in a row. His chance at taking a spot-kick never came as by then, Napoli had sealed the win.
“There is a disappointment for the lads, for the club, for the fans,” Maurizio Sarri, Juventus manager, said. “At this moment we lack brilliance to make the game dangerous, and without that brilliance, it becomes more difficult,” he added.
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