Hojlund Shines as Napoli Secures Victory
The Partenopei, riding high after their Supercoppa Italiana triumph, needed to refocus on Serie A action following a recent league defeat. Rasmus Hojlund was the decisive figure in Cremona, netting both goals in the 2-0 victory and narrowly missing a hat-trick.
Conte Reflects on Napoli’s ‘Extraordinary’ 2025 Season
“We celebrate a wonderful year where we, in my view, achieved something truly unexpected and extraordinary with the Scudetto, then capped off by the Supercoppa,” Conte told DAZN Italia. “It was such a great calendar year full of satisfaction, and the celebrations in Naples are unique. We are now in Serie A, trying to stay close to the top spots.”
Conte acknowledged the difficulties faced this season: “We are facing numerous problems this season, some of them very serious, but we’re dealing with them as courageous men. I always tell the lads, they must honour that Scudetto symbol on their jersey and make the fans proud.”
Hojlund`s Maturation Praised
The coach highlighted the rapid development of his Danish striker, who has already surpassed his goal tally from the previous season at Manchester United.
“Hojlund is a very young player, still only 22, and can improve a great deal. Since he first joined us, he has already progressed to become a dominant player in that role, because he’s starting to understand the right positions to take, how to defend the ball, when to come towards it or back off,” explained Conte. “He has huge margin for further improvement.”
Injury Crisis Forces Tactical Reshuffle
The team fielded a weakened squad missing several key players including Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Alex Meret. The lack of alternatives in midfield forced Conte to adopt a functional 3-4-2-1 formation.
Quoting Hannibal, Conte stated: “Hannibal said if there isn’t a road through, then we’ve got to build one. We are building our road with hard work and dedication.” He expressed hope that the injured players would return in 2026, though he cautioned patience, particularly regarding the serious injuries to Lukaku and De Bruyne.
Napoli`s Structural Disadvantage
Addressing his previous assessment that Napoli was not yet a “dominant force,” Conte elaborated on the economic and structural gap separating them from their rivals.
“For many reasons, because in my view we just started this journey. Our infrastructure isn’t ready,” replied the coach. “I feel Juventus, Inter, and Milan have the structure, strength in depth, and wage bills that are above all the other clubs.”
Conte concluded by stressing that Napoli`s recent trophy successes should be viewed as anomalies rather than the standard. “Every time someone other than that group wins a trophy, it means something truly extraordinary has happened. We mustn`t bury our heads in the sand and act like we are on the same level as these clubs. We try to bridge the gap as much as possible with hard work and dedication, but we cannot ignore that gap exists.”
