As Napoli gear up to face Inter Milan at San Siro, head coach Antonio Conte is determined to put behind the team’s recent disappointing defeat against Atalanta. The match presents a significant opportunity for Napoli to defend their position at the top of the Serie A table.
Reflecting on his return to San Siro, Conte remarked, “It feels a certain way to return to a place where I did a lot of hard work. It takes me back in time; it will be a mix of emotions, episodes, and situations from the past.” He recalled his successful tenure at Inter, stating, “At Inter, I experienced two happy years, with the Europa League final and winning the Scudetto. It was a wonderful experience that I carry with me.”
As Napoli prepares for this crucial match, Conte acknowledged the importance of securing three points: “The victory is important for Napoli as much as it is for Inter. We are facing what is currently the strongest team, and credit goes to everyone involved—from management to players—for their exponential growth. However, we will go to San Siro to compete until the end and not to wave the white flag before stepping onto the pitch.”
Conte also addressed comments made by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis but chose not to elaborate: “I haven’t read what the president wrote, so I won’t comment. We met last week, but I am below him in hierarchy, and I believe a coach should not comment on a president’s opinions.”
On player availability, Conte confirmed that Stanislav Lobotka has recovered from injury and is available for selection. He said, “Lobotka has recovered and is at our disposal; we still need to evaluate whether he will start or come on during the match. We all know his qualities; there’s no need to emphasize his value. In recent matches, Gilmour has performed very well, and you won’t hear me complain about missing players. We have a squad built within our limits, and I trust all my players.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of the defeat to Atalanta, Conte noted that morale remains high within the squad: “It has been a very calm week; the players have great spirit and a desire to train and improve. They know that if they work well and we perform well in matches, there will be an upgrade in our performance.”
Looking ahead to the match against Inter, Conte expressed his expectations: “I anticipate a game with more quality in attack; we need to play our game and be stronger in duels. This is one aspect we are working on improving.”
Conte also discussed Napoli’s ongoing development as a team: “We have begun a process that requires various steps. It takes time to reach our goals and compete with top clubs. Building a stadium or training center doesn’t happen overnight; it requires time—maybe two, three, five, or seven years… The important thing is to restart, even though Naples is an impatient city in this regard.”
