The Napoli coach: “Are they hungrier than us? It’s unlikely, but if it happens, it will be entirely our fault.” Then on Italiano: “He’s worked his way up and is driven by a great passion”
Focused, as always. As if the match were already underway, as if he were already playing it in his head. After all, Bologna has put him in a serious bind in their last two meetings, and in November triggered the latest internal crisis. From which Napoli emerged stronger, but also with a different tactical approach. “That wasn’t a good game for us, especially the second half. And compared to that time, we had to change our tactical setup due to some injuries,” said Conte, “to look for new solutions. Whether we win or lose, we always have to start over; it’s easier to do so after a win.” And so the victory over Milan served to quickly recharge their energy. “Yes, because a win brings energy, confidence, and enthusiasm,” Conte continued. “And then tomorrow we’re playing for a trophy; it’s easier to recover from fatigue. We’re preparing for this match as best we can, but as I always tell the boys, it’s nice to reach the final, but in the end, people only remember the winner.”
A clear message, just like the one about the right attitude to have. “If Bologna turns out to be hungrier than us, it means we’ve done something wrong; it will be entirely our fault. Bologna can win the cup, of course, but to do so they’ll have to prove themselves better and stronger than us. But I don’t think they can be hungrier, because we have to at least match that hunger…” Napoli arrived in Riyadh with the Scudetto on their chests, just like two years ago. Compared to two years ago, however, they want to rewrite the story of the final. “We mustn’t forget where we came from. Last year we achieved an extraordinary feat, winning the Scudetto after finishing tenth. But I’ve been saying since the start of the year that this season would be complicated. Then the injuries are making it even harder. But in the league we’re where we need to be; here we’ve made it to the final, and in the other cup competitions we still have a chance to advance.”
tribute— Finally, a word of praise for Italiano. “I can only speak highly of Italiano; I see a coach who’s always eager to learn and improve. He worked his way up just like I did, and wherever he’s gone, he’s done well,” Conte emphasized. “We coaches can’t stop; we must have that passion that drives us every day to try to improve. He’s one of those who’s always hungry, and he’s really doing an excellent job.” Tomorrow, however, there will be no mercy. There’s a recent embarrassment to avenge. And a trophy to try to bring back to Naples.
