Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri apologises for 'sexist and unacceptable' comments to journalist

But Titti Improta's colleague's have criticised Sarri's 'contempt for the press and women'

Sarri's Napoli haven't won either of their last two games, letting Juventus top the league (Getty)

Maurizio Sarri has apologised for insulting comments made to a female journalist in the wake of this weekend’s 0-0 draw at Inter Milan.

Juventus lead Napoli by one point with a game in hand and are now in the driving seat for another Scudetto.

But after Titti Improta asked Sarri to elaborate on precisely that, the difficulty of catching Juve, the Napoli boss responded: “You’re a woman, you’re beautiful, for those two reasons I won’t tell you to go f*** yourself.”

Sarri, who is being considered by Chelsea as a replacement for Antonio Conte, then laughs, though he is reported to have apologised to the journalist in question afterwards.

Ottavio Lucarelli - chief of the local journalists' union - criticised the Napoli coach for “his contempt for the press and women”.

“It was a sexist and unacceptable response,” he told Italian media.

“Sarri apologised, but the seriousness of his response remains, which not only underlined the coach’s vulgar language also but his contempt for the Press and women.

“We’re in total solidarity with our colleague Titti Improta, the secretary of the Order of Campania and the President of the Equal Opportunities Committee, who is receiving messages and support from all over Italy at this time.”

After the same fixture two years ago, Sarri was fined €20,000 and banned for two Coppa Italia games for “directing extremely insulting epithets at the coach of the opposing team” after using allegedly homophobic language.