Napoli suffered a 3-1 defeat against Lazio in the Coppa Italia round of 16, a team they will face again in the upcoming Serie A fixture. Following the match, Napoli’s manager Antonio Conte shared his thoughts on his team’s performance with Mediaset.
“We’ve been eliminated from a competition, and this should bring disappointment and anger,” Conte stated. “We knew that making these lineup choices could carry risks, but many players had never had the opportunity to play in an official match. For the overall growth process, we needed to test many players who work hard and give their all during the week. It was right to see and evaluate, and while there’s regret in exiting the competition, we had this necessity.”
Addressing the team selection and group dynamics, Conte explained, “We did it against Palermo and won 5-0. What other opportunity is there to give this chance to a group of players who train intensively? If you never give them the opportunity, it’s clear that you lose the group’s intensity and dedication. In the process, one must understand where the squad stands and make evaluations. To build something, you need to know what you have.”
Reflecting on the match itself, Conte observed, “The game was balanced. We had 50% possession, and we were even in terms of shots on target and corner kicks. Perhaps we needed to pay more attention to the goals we conceded. We could have done more and tried to improve.”
When asked about Napoli being favorites for the Scudetto, Conte responded firmly, “We must work and think about ourselves. There’s no one more deaf than those who don’t want to hear; let’s leave the considerations to others. We’ve started a journey, and there’s building to be done. There are no shortcuts in life.”
