Napoli boss Rafa Benitez said the poor state of Sparta Prague's pitch was the reason behind an uninspiring 0-0 draw between the sides in the Europa League on Thursday.

The result confirmed the Partenopei's path into the next round of the competition but an uneven surface meant both sides struggled to get into any sort of rhythm on the night.

Benitez told reporters: “The pitch was poor and it was not easy to play well.