Napoli coach Antonio Conte says he’ll return to Inter Milan on Sunday full of pride.
Conte takes Napoli to former club Inter as Serie A leaders and discussed the prospect at today’s media preview.
How does it feel to return to San Siro as league leaders?
“It always has a certain effect where you’ve worked hard, it’s full of emotions, you go back in time, it’s inevitable to think back to so many things, so many episodes. It’s definitely a nice effect to return to where I worked. And won? Yes, two happy years. The first we came in second, we lost the EL final, in the second we won the Scudetto. It was a beautiful experience that I carry within me, like all the past ones that I lived to the fullest.”
You read ADL’s sentences, they are very similar to yours. What effect can it have on the environment? Can it take away something like enthusiasm?
“I haven’t read the president’s words. Whatever he said, a coach must not comment on what his president says, he must listen and move on. There is no need to comment. I saw the president last week, he didn’t say anything to me, if he said anything different to you… (the speech is summarized, ed.). These are his considerations, I will never comment on the president’s words, he is in charge of everything and it is right that he expresses his thoughts. I am below.”
The 3 points are more important for the reigning champion Inter or for the rebuilding Napoli?
“They are important, they are always 3 points, it is inevitable that we face a team that today, for everything they have shown, is the strongest team, they have worked very well and today they certainly put themselves in a slightly higher position than all the others. Credit must be given to them, they have done a great job from the directors to the coach to the players, they have all grown but they are 3 points for them and for us, the match will be played and we are not going to San Siro to wave the white flag before starting, but convinced to play our cards, then we will see what happens.
“We are preparing in a major way, as we always do, we are not going there to leave the 3 points before even playing. It will be an important test, we will measure ourselves against the best and it will be important to understand our progress, do not forget that we arrive at the top of the table, it can say everything or nothing, and the objective is to remain at the top at the end of the table.”
Are you worried about Lukaku‘s condition? Below expectations, can you explain the reasons?
“At every blessed conference there is always the question about Lukaku. It becomes a bit, not annoying, but we are talking about the team. Lukaku’s growth depends on the growth of the team, the individual is never so decisive as to shift values. The team is the basis, then there are the individuals who must be exalted, the combination must lead us to be strong. If someone doesn’t score otherwise we always ask why. It is the team that must grow, but I am confident because I see them every day, they want to work and improve, I see a lot of commitment and I would not reduce it to a single player and it is not fair towards the others either.”
How is Lobotka? How indispensable is someone like him?
“We all know Lobotka’s value, it’s useless to underline it, we have to be good at finding something that can make up for one or more absences. I think Gilmour has done very well in these games, you will never hear me complain about the absences. We have a squad, we have tried to make a squad as much as possible to make up for some injuries and I have faith in everyone. Lobotka has been training since midweek, we have also managed him a bit, but he is fine, he has recovered and is available, whether he can start or not we will evaluate.”
How did the team react after the defeat that had been missing since August?
“It was a normal week, of work, not only tactically and physically, but also of video. We analyze them after a victory, let alone after a defeat, there are many things to evaluate, understand, why there was this stumble, how much the strength of Atalanta affected, how many situations we can improve, but we worked and there is always great spirit and desire to compete. They know that through training and matches there is a phase of improvement.”
What do you have to do to make things difficult for Inter?
“We have to play the game, then it’s inevitable, if you think you’re going there to be a sparring partner waiting for the punches, that’s not our idea. We’ll go and measure ourselves with our values, we’ll try to play the game and what we’re working on because I think that this is, beyond the result, the best way to continue to grow.”
You have given offensive solidity, the next step is an improvement in the offensive aspect?
“There is room for improvement on everything, we work on everything. Improving from first in the standings still means seeking absolute excellence and we continue to work to satisfy all the needs you have.”
Will you be satisfied after seeing what was missing with Atalanta against Inter?
“As with Atalanta, statistically it was balanced, I have to analyze it not as a fan, in other games we were more concrete in taking advantage of the opportunities, in this game Atalanta took advantage of them more. With Inter I expect to play like with Atalanta, maybe with more quality in the final phase, maybe with more strength in the duels, we are working on it.”
Looking ahead, is the reconstruction also continuing at corporate levels?
“It’s right to stop otherwise we become mono-thematic. What we are doing is a path that includes several steps, but we still need to give time to reach these steps, several goals along the way to then compete with the usual suspects. These are things that we evaluate with the club, with the president, knowing that it’s not like from one day to the next that the sports center or stadium pops up like mushrooms.
“It takes time, but I also realize that there isn’t and I don’t see all this patience on your part to wait. I can’t start building the sports center at the end of training, it seems simple, but it’s more difficult to realize, there are so many discussions. I don’t know between X, 3, 4, 7, but it would be important to start, but I understand that Naples is impatient.”
Is there a lack of a short marker on these faster forwards?
“We always work as a team on defense, it’s never a one-on-one discussion. On one-on-ones it’s important to work as a team, if you isolate one-on-one against a strong player, right in one-on-ones you put your player in difficulty and put the opponent in the best conditions. It’s always a team effort to do, if someone is fast if you put him against a big or small player, if he’s strong he’ll skip past you and you have to limit him without leaving that situation.”
