The Azzurri coach: “We have to make transfers; it’s not easy to integrate so many players. Change tactics? No, I don’t think it’s right to sacrifice the four midfielders.”

Antonio Conte’s messages at the press conference were unequivocal. “We need to take a bath in humility, I’ve been telling you that for a long time. Some people in Naples are blowing smoke, and that’s a place where you always have to tell the truth.” His words are a crescendo of frustration and desire for revenge after the 6-2 defeat at PSV. “The old and the new must step up their game. We all need to step up, regardless of the red card. If we want to grow and build something that can make Naples proud, we need to understand that we have to go back to last year, when it was all about the good of Naples. That’s what needs to come back. The good of the individual is useless. The good of the team is what matters, and because of various things that have been blown out of proportion, many situations have arisen that I have even enjoyed watching because they have been so shameless. I repeat, Napoli and the Neapolitans must not be taken for a ride,“ said the coach in no uncertain terms.

Some decisions in the summer were wrong. The coach also spoke about the transfer market in an attempt to explain Napoli’s tremendous defeat in Eindhoven. ”There is certainly disappointment, but when these situations arise, it is not by chance. We will have to be good at capitalizing on what happened tonight to reverse a trend that sometimes has not made me happy. Last year, we won an extraordinary and incredible championship, where everyone went beyond their limits with great cohesion and unity in every way. This year, however, between playing so many games and bringing in so many players… In my opinion, nine new players were too many. We haven’t been balanced. I’ve always said that this year would be complex, there are aspects that need to be absorbed over time. This is the level of the Champions League. We have little to say and a lot of work to do, although we know that it will take a lot of effort. I experience the dressing room every day, so I say certain things, we mustn’t despair. We’ll try to recreate last year’s chemistry,” he explained.

Too much abundance?—  “We made transfers because we had to, because last year we had a small squad and we did well to win the championship,” continued Conte. “We brought in nine players, then it takes time and patience. The veterans who achieved last year’s feat must be good at getting back in the game, myself included. It’s the building of the second season, we all did it together, and the players are the last ones who should take responsibility. However, since the beginning of training camp, I have been reiterating some concepts. I don’t want to be cautious or dissatisfied. I know I’m often exploited, but I try to be honest and work hard.“ In theory, the ideas on what to do are clear. ”We need to regain the physical and mental energy we had last year. We need to give the new players the opportunity to get into some of the dressing room mechanisms.”

No changes—  The heavy defeat in the Netherlands could call into question some tactical aspects, but Conte has no intention of changing his playing philosophy ahead of the match against Inter. “If you win, everything is fine, if you lose, everything is bad? You all praised the choice of four midfielders. De Bruyne couldn’t play after a bad game, but after Sporting, he became irreplaceable. A good coach is one who puts the best players in the starting eleven, creating the right chemistry. Tactically, what should we change? The balance we have found now is the best one. Having two very offensive wingers does not give us stability, and I don’t think it’s right to sacrifice one of the midfielders.”