After Naples’ defeat against Lazio (0-2) at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, Antonio Conte made a lucid assessment of his team’s performance. The Italian technician recognized a lack of intensity and energy from the first minutes, explaining that his team had never managed to impose their rhythm: “it was not a good match on our part, we did not have the necessary intensity, they exploited the spaces better and from the start, we felt a lack of energy”.
Asked about the criticism and rumors surrounding his future, the Neapolitan coach wanted to calm things down while sending a clear message: “I’ll let you speak, the quieter you are, the better, words are often exploited. I also understand that my name is used in writing, to make newspaper and television headlines. Did De Laurentiis speak? This is the president’s problem. He can say whatever he wants. If I have to respond to him, I will do it in private”. Also referring to the discussions around his future and the club, he added that certain controversies were unnecessary and harmful to the group. Despite this setback, Conte insisted on the need to immediately plan for the end of the season, recalling the major challenge of qualifying for the Champions League: “There are five games left, it’s vital for the club, it represents significant revenue, now we have to give everything until the end”. Naples will host Cremonese this Friday.
