The coach takes stock of the calendar year after the victory in Cremona: “With the Scudetto and Super Cup, 2025 has been wonderful: ”Every time someone other than Inter, Juve, or Milan wins, it means that something extraordinary has been achieved.”
2025 couldn’t have ended better for Napoli and Antonio Conte. An away win against Cremonese keeps the Azzurri in the hunt at the top, after winning the Italian Super Cup. “We are celebrating a wonderful year, in which we have achieved something extraordinary and unexpected, winning the Scudetto and crowning it with the Super Cup, where we beat Inter, Milan, and Bologna. It has been a year full of emotions, and in Naples, we celebrate in a different and unique way. We celebrated the Scudetto and the Super Cup, and in the league, we are still there, trying to stay close to the top positions. We are doing so, despite facing very serious problems, like brave men, and I have to give credit to the boys. They want to honor the Scudetto on their chests and make the fans proud,” observed the coach at the end of the match.
Honorable mention goes to Rasmus Hojlund, who scored twice to defeat Cremonese. “He is a very young player, only 22 years old, and he can improve a lot. Since he arrived, he has become a dominant player. He is understanding his position, how to move and when to come forward, and he is very connected with the team. In my football, strikers are very important and have a special role in the economy of the game. Hojlund has incredible room for improvement.” Napoli, therefore, continues to hold its own despite the many injuries. “Annibale said that if there is no road, you have to build it, and we are doing so with dedication. We have been without Meret, Anguissa, De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Gilmour. The only wish I can make is that they can return soon. The injuries are serious, we will have to be patient and see what condition they return in, we have to take that into account,” continued the coach.
We’re not ready— Conte’s statements about Napoli not being considered a dominant team in Serie A gave pause for thought. The coach returned to the subject. “We’re not ready yet for many reasons. Today, for me, Juventus, Inter, and Milan are different from the others in terms of structure, second teams, payroll, and asset value. But every time someone other than these three wins, it means that something extraordinary has been achieved. We can’t bury our heads in the sand and ignore certain differences, then try to do it on the pitch, but we’re talking about very different realities,” he concluded.
