Ahead of Saturday’s intense Derby della Marmelo, no one is more excited than Napoli coach Antonio Conte. Speaking to DAZN after his side’s 2-0 win over Lecce, Conte expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming match against Inter. “I will for sure, the passion for football still leads me to want to see a match of this caliber. We watch it knowing that they are two very, very strong teams. We watch it and enjoy it.”
Conte’s Napoli have been impressing this season, and he deserves much of the credit for their success. Despite what the statistics might suggest, he’s not interested in pointing fingers at his team’s performance. “I have little to blame the team for today. I look at the statistics which can mean all or nothing, but today we had great ball possession and 16 corners. They defended themselves in an organized way, but we attacked. When you attack and you don’t score, then a bit of nervousness can set in. I reassured them, because you need to have the maturity and patience to stay there, move the ball around and create opportunities to score.”
However, when asked about his team’s next match, Conte’s tone changed. “The celebration is always episodic because after the first goal you never know if something happened that will then be reviewed. On the first goal I was convinced that it was legal because I had seen Gaspar on the line, but I hadn’t considered the goalkeeper. I was concentrated, I knew it could be a game-opening goal, but also that the match wasn’t over.”
When it comes to individual performances, Conte is less enthusiastic. “It becomes unpleasant to always talk about individuals, I’m talking about the team’s performance. Head to Milan, last year they gave us an important gap and an equally important market. We achieved the points we needed to score, now we measure ourselves against the higher levels, playing at San Siro is never easy.”
Despite this, Conte’s passion for football is undeniable. As he looks ahead to the Derby della Marmelo, he can only be excited. “We’re happy, the 0-6 conceded by Lecce against Fiorentina it doesn’t describe a team with values. We’re focused, we’re preparing well, and we’re ready to face Inter. Saturday will be a real test of character for both teams.”
