The Napoli coach spoke on the eve of the Champions League match in Denmark: “We’re trying to focus on the players we have and always find solutions. We’re trying to hang in there—these are strange times.”
Injuries are taking a heavy toll, and the fact that Napoli has lost every away game in the Champions League so far doesn’t help. Yet Antonio Conte addressed the press conference on the eve of tomorrow night’s match against Copenhagen with confidence. “I’ve been clear with the guys: let’s focus on the players we have and always find solutions. We’ve done that over the past two days as well, and we hope to put what we’ve practiced into action on the field. We’ll make a few minor changes because in the last game we lost Politano and Rahmani, and on top of that, Neres still hasn’t resolved his ankle issue. So let’s focus on ourselves and give it our all with the players we have.”
Copenhagen hasn’t played an official match since December 7, but for the coach from Salento, that won’t be an advantage: “We’re focused on ourselves and aren’t thinking about our opponents. We’re coming off a grueling stretch and are playing every three days: whoever sets the schedule should take a good look at their conscience because the players are under considerable physical and mental stress. We’ll be facing a formidable team that performs well at home. Our fans will give us a big boost. My feelings about tomorrow? They’re positive because I have a squad that rises to the occasion when the going gets tough—though those challenges are only increasing. I, on the other hand, was hoping they’d ease up… I have great confidence in my players, and we’ve studied Copenhagen. We know there’s a lot at stake, and we’ll approach it with our game plan. We won’t come here with our heads down: heads held high, we’ll give it our all, believing we can win the match. With actions, not words.”
TRANSFER MARKET— Now let’s turn to the transfer market and the reinforcements requested by your assistant coach Stellini at the press conference: “On the eve of an important match for us, I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss matters unrelated to the game against Copenhagen. We’re on the same page with the club and share the same views: we know what we need to tackle the second half of the season. But for now, let’s focus on the match and channel all our energy into it.” Conte will return to the bench after watching two games from the stands: “Not being on the bench really bothers me because it breaks that connection between me and the players during the game: it’s one thing to give instructions from the sidelines, but it’s another to make my presence felt during the good moments—and especially the bad ones. The players did a great job of making up for my absence. Vergara, Ambrosino, and Marianucci need to be ready: playing one game for Napoli is like playing thirty in Serie B. They’re ready to lend a hand.” Then on Hojlund: “I can only speak highly of him: he’s a great guy, he’s 22 years old, and he can improve a lot even though he’s already learned how to use his body, how to help the team, and many other things. He’s humble and will grow a lot in the future. And he’s lucky because he gets to work alongside fantastic players like Lukaku, who will help him.”
HOJLUND— The Danish forward, a former Napoli player, spoke alongside Conte at the press conference: “It’s great to be back here because this stadium is electric, and I have wonderful memories. It’ll be important to win to take a big step forward in the standings: we all want to advance in the Champions League. We’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries, but we remain a strong group. Lukaku’s return? He’s strong and will help us a lot. We can play together, too.” Final thoughts on Copenhagen: “They’re coming off a month-long break, while we have a lot of players out with injuries. We’ll have to be ready because the Danes won’t give us any gifts. We want to win.”
