Napoli manager Antonio Conte addressed the media two days before his return to the Allianz Stadium to face Juventus. With Napoli now one point ahead of Juventus in the Serie A table after their victory against Cagliari, Conte discussed the upcoming clash and reflected on his history with the Turin club.
Before delving into match preparations, Conte paid tribute to the late Totò Schillaci: “I want to extend my thoughts to Schillaci. In the south, he represented a great example of someone who managed to reach the top. I had the pleasure and fortune of playing with him in 1991 at Juventus. My thoughts also go to his family for the loss of an excellent person. When I arrived at Juventus, I saw him as an idol despite him being a very helpful person always ready to make himself available.”
Addressing the importance of the Juventus match, Conte stated: “For all teams, with the transfer market ending late, there’s a settling-in phase. I definitely expect to give continuity. We must grow in many aspects without dwelling too much on the previous match. We must not delude ourselves either: every game is a test to show that we are on the right path. Do I consider Juventus as an exam? Every match is. In Cagliari, it was difficult to play also because of the environment. I hope it’s a challenge that can count for something, we start on two different levels. Compared to last year, there are eighteen points to recover. During a match, it is necessary to wear different clothes if we want to be winners.”
Reflecting on his Juventus career, Conte said: “My history speaks of thirteen years spent at Juventus as a player, where I was captain and where we won everything. I had the opportunity to coach for three years in a difficult moment and opening a winning cycle. I am part of Juventus history for what I gave, it is inevitable that as a player it is easier to choose your own path. Then, as a coach, it is very difficult for you to decide your path. I have always honored the places where I have coached. Today I have the immense pleasure of coaching a club like Napoli, for me born in the south it is a source of pride and satisfaction. For me, it will be emotional to return to that stadium, just as in several years it will be emotional to face Napoli again as an opponent.”
Commenting on Juventus’s new coach Thiago Motta, Conte remarked: “Motta inherits the legacy of a coach, Allegri, who has written several pages of Juventus history. The request is always to win. He was a player I called for the Euros, this makes me laugh and also makes me think that I’m getting old (laughs). He’s a serious guy who did very well at Bologna, I wish him the best. Clearly not in the matches against us.”
On the advantages and disadvantages of not playing in European competitions, Conte explained: “The advantage for me of not playing in the cups is to work more with the group. When you arrive at a new club, it takes time to know every aspect. If instead we had to play three games in a week we would have been screwed. But there is also a disadvantage, namely that the squad is not as competitive as a squad that plays in Europe.”
Finally, Conte emphasized the importance of team spirit: “The group spirit is the essence of teams that want to aspire to do something important. I found a group of good guys, there are no selfish ones. From this point of view, it was easier to try to stimulate certain keys. Better an ugly truth than a beautiful lie. In the future, when I meet these guys again, we will always have to look each other in the eye. It makes you understand that in the end you are building something.”
