New Napoli manager Antonio Conte gave an extensive interview to Serie A’s official channels, sharing his thoughts on his return to Italian football and his ambitions with the club.
Conte expressed his excitement about returning to football, stating, “I missed football. Sometimes we need to unplug. Those who live football as passionately as I do, dedicating countless hours, occasionally need to pause and recharge before a new experience. Now I’m full of energy and very motivated.”
When asked about choosing Napoli, Conte described it as an “exciting challenge” and “an important opportunity to experience a wonderful city with passionate fans who live and breathe football.” He acknowledged the difficulty of the task but felt he was at the peak of his managerial maturity to face it.
Reflecting on his career, Conte noted, “My history shows that I’ve always arrived in situations where I never found a ready-made machine. I’ve always stepped into cars that needed resetting and careful preparation, perhaps starting from the fourth or fifth row to then try to improve and overturn predictions.”
Conte emphasized the importance of teamwork, saying, “The ‘I’ must disappear, along with selfishness. We must talk about ‘us’. You can’t go anywhere with individuals. The team leads you to win or lose.”
Regarding his work ethic, Conte recalled, “I remember well that English journalists at my first Chelsea conference counted how many times I said ‘work’ and ‘working’. They were surprised. Only work leads you to success.”
Discussing the differences between club presidents, Conte said, “I had the pleasure of having two young presidents like Agnelli and Zhang who had never won before me. We made history together. De Laurentiis, on the other hand, has already won a Scudetto. With my expertise, I’ll try to do well.”
On his defensive philosophy, Conte stated, “Inter won the Scudetto with the best defense. Rarely does a team win without conceding much. You must always have either the best defense or the first or second-best attack. You need to be very balanced.”
When asked about how he’d like his Napoli team to be remembered, Conte replied, “The important thing is to excite people by giving everything. That’s how people remember you.”
Regarding his future at Napoli, Conte was noncommittal, saying, “I can’t say this. Many coaches say that after three years, you need to change either all the players or the coach. That’s what those who have made football history say.”
Finally, on the topic of Scudetto favorites, Conte dismissed the question, stating, “I’m not interested in making predictions. We’re trying to rebuild something important. We need to talk less and focus on actions on the field every day, giving our maximum.”
