Rasmus Hojlund has delivered a thinly-veiled swipe at his parent club, Manchester United, after clinching silverware with Napoli in Saudi Arabia.
Supercoppa Success Sparks Social Media Dig
The Danish forward played the full 90 minutes as Napoli defeated Bologna 2-0 on Monday night to lift the Supercoppa Italiana, the club's first triumph in the competition for over a decade. The goals came from David Neres, securing the trophy for Antonio Conte's side.
Following the victory, the 22-year-old took to Instagram with a photograph of himself holding the trophy, captioning it: "What a great decision looks like." The post, noted by the Manchester Evening News, was interpreted as a pointed reference to his summer loan move away from Old Trafford.
The post garnered likes from several former United teammates, including Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana, Chido Obi, and Patrick Dorgu, with the latter two also leaving congratulatory comments.
A Season-Long Loan Set to Become Permanent
Hojlund's switch to Serie A was arranged as a season-long loan last summer, with an agreement in place to make the transfer permanent if certain conditions are met. It is understood that securing Champions League qualification for Napoli is a key clause in that deal.
His departure from Manchester came after a difficult season where he managed just four goals, subsequently falling down the pecking order following the arrival of new manager Ruben Amorim and attacking signings Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko.
In contrast, his form in Italy has been more fruitful, with seven goals in 19 appearances for Gli Azzurri so far this campaign.
Conte Backs His Player and Questions United
Napoli manager Antonio Conte echoed the sentiment of his striker's post-match message, offering a robust defence of his work with Hojlund and fellow ex-United man Scott McTominay, who also featured in the final.
"Hojlund and McTominay were not playing at Manchester United, so there must be a reason given the work done by me and my staff," Conte stated. "I believe our job is to expand a player's knowledge and make him stronger."
He added: "I invest a lot in that, and I think every player I have worked with has always come out improved technically, tactically, and mentally."
The Italian coach did critique his team's finishing on the night, suggesting the scoreline could have been more emphatic, but ultimately praised a "great performance" that has delivered immediate silverware for his project.
