epa12092721 Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs CF Genoa at Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, 11 May 2025. EPA-EFE/CESARE ABBATE
Napoli travel to Sassuolo on Saturday afternoon for their opening game of the 2025-26 Serie A season, with Antonio Conte’s side eager to defend their Scudetto title.
Speaking to the press ahead of tomorrow’s match, Conte discussed several topics, including the injury suffered by Romelu Lukaku, Napoli’s place as favourites and his club’s summer transfer market.
With quotes taken via the Corriere dello Sport, Conte kicked off the conference by discussing Lukaku’s injury: “It is a significant injury for a player who had a specific importance for the team. We know full well that situations like this can arise throughout the year. Something similar happened last year too and I am not just talking about injuries but also the transfer market.
“The lads showed last year that they can cope with anything. We must not complain but instead find solutions. I haven’t even spoken to the lads about it because injuries are part of the game. Now we need to work to make our players shine.”
Conte talks team news and tactics
Conte’s Napoli won the Scudetto last season, narrowly pipping Inter to the title on the final day of the season. Much of the Neapolitan side remains the same, with no star player sales aside from Victor Osimhen, who was already not involved in the squad during the 2024-25 campaign.
Talking about his squad, Conte said “This group does not need to repeat the work they did last year. We are talking about responsible guys who want to work hard and improve day after day. What I have highlighted is historic, because Napoli have never won two consecutive Scudetti. Let’s remember that Napoli finished tenth in the season before last, having only sold Kim; that must be clear. We must win and lose together. It will be a tough championship with many well-equipped teams and our job will be to do our best. By winning, we have opened new horizons for many teams and not just those accustomed to winning.”
Conte also talked tactics, saying “We inevitably have to work and find solutions. We know full well that 4-3-3 is the right formation for this team. We have also made some signings that fit well with this formation but there are other avenues to explore. A good coach, in my opinion, must always find the right solution, fielding the best players without distorting their nature. Right now, we only have one striker and we need to start thinking about finding other solutions as well.”
Conte on Napoli Scudetto defence and expectations
Conte revealed that his Napoli side are determined to honour their role as champions and once again try to make to history: “We wear the Scudetto on our shirts and therefore, by definition, we are among the favourites – even if we had lost all our players. Losing Lukaku means losing an important player but it doesn’t make a difference in the perception.”
“Last year, we won by doing great things. If we talk about suffering, even when we win, then I’ll retire. We win and lose together, you cannot separate the two. The atmosphere can’t be with us when we win and against us when we lose. True Neapolitan support is always against the team. Last year, we already showed we can handle pressure by doing something incredible.
“I’m not one for grand speeches, I’m for the essence. We need to keep our heads down and keep going, otherwise the result risks being the same as two years ago, where the only accused were the coach, players and the president. We need to apply positive pressure, not negative. Let’s try and be united and help these guys because they have shown a great sense of belonging: they have already made history with two Scudetti in three years.”
