Juan Jesus apology to Napoli fans: ‘Performance below my standard’

Napoli defender Juan Jesus has issued a formal apology to fans and his teammates after his performance against Parma was ‘not up to my standards.’

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The Partenopei effectively said goodbye to their Scudetto ambitions after a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Parma on Sunday afternoon.

That result and Inter’s 4-3 victory in Como opened up a nine-point gap at the top of the Serie A table.

Juan Jesus had a dismal showing at the Stadio Tardini, making a significant error to concede the opening goal after just 33 seconds, and he was substituted by Antonio Conte at half-time.

The Brazilian took to social media to send a message to the Napoli fans after this setback.

Juan Jesus sorry for Napoli error

“This too is football, making mistakes and having the courage to keep going,” wrote Juan Jesus.

“Yesterday I was not up to my standards, so I take responsibility for that. I also know that overall this has been one the best seasons of my career. This is precisely why I demand more from myself.

“Errors are painful, but they are part of the journey. We work, we grow, we come back stronger. Always with our minds on the objective. Forza Napoli always.”

The central defender turns 35 in June and is in the final weeks of his current contract with Napoli.

He joined as a free agent from Roma in 2021 and has been in Italian football since January 2012 for Inter, Roma and Napoli.