Antonio Conte shared his thoughts following the team’s first official match of the season, suggesting his squad needs more depth. The Partenopei dominated their match against Modean but were pushed all the way to penalties, which they eventually edged 5-3 in the shootout. After the victory, Conte spoke to Mediaset about the team’s performance and his tactical approach. He remarked, “My 3-4-2-1 is not the ideal formation for this team that won the Scudetto with a 4-3-3? Last year they always played with the 4-3-3 and finished tenth in the standings, conceding 48 goals and struggling a lot. Instead, with this system, we provide more coverage for Kvara and Politano.”
Reflecting on the match, Conte noted the team’s dominance but highlighted the need for improvement in finishing. “Statistically, there was no match today; we had 75% possession and made 28 shots. The problem is that we need to hit the target… We needed to be much more lucid and do better by bringing more men into the penalty area. We wanted to score goals for our fans. I like Raspadori and Simeone; they did their job and will be important this season.”
Conte also addressed the club’s transfer needs, acknowledging the challenges faced in the market. “Tonight was a real wake-up call for everyone. We still have a lot of work to do, both on the field and at the club level. There are objective issues, and we can’t pretend otherwise, but I don’t want to emphasize certain aspects. I was aware of the situation with market constraints in terms of purchases and salaries, and many players don’t want to come to Napoli because we’re not playing in European competitions this year. I read ‘Conte wants this and that,’ but I don’t want anyone. I want reinforcements because we need them.”
