Antonio Conte voiced his disappointment following Napoli`s Champions League defeat to Manchester City, lamenting what he perceived as a cruel twist of fate for Kevin De Bruyne. The Napoli manager stated that Giovanni Di Lorenzo`s early red card, issued just 21 minutes into the match, completely altered the game`s dynamic, which had been progressing favorably for his team up to that point.
Conte emphasized that facing an opponent of Manchester City`s caliber with only ten men for the majority of the match proved exceptionally difficult, if not insurmountable. He acknowledged that despite the bitter outcome, he found positive aspects in his players` dedication and commitment. According to Conte, his team displayed an excellent spirit in the initial 20 minutes and had the potential to pose significant challenges for the “Citizens.”
Conte`s Regret for De Bruyne`s Early Exit
The coach expressed his regret over the forced substitution of Kevin De Bruyne, who was unable to play a substantial role against his former club due to the tactical adjustments necessitated by the sending-off. Conte described this as a “cruel destiny” for the Belgian midfielder, yet affirmed it was the only viable decision under the circumstances.
“Destiny can be cruel sometimes. Last season, we had just one red card in Serie A. Here we got one after 20 minutes. Taking De Bruyne off was the only thing I could’ve done at that moment. I felt sorry for him, we lost his quality in the match and took away his opportunity to play here against his old club in his former stadium, but it was the only choice.”
Napoli managed to hold on with ten men for 56 minutes until Erling Haaland eventually broke the deadlock. Jeremy Doku then sealed City`s 2-0 victory with a second goal. Conte admitted to shouting from the touchline, frustrated by his team`s inability to maintain possession for longer periods.
Assessing Napoli`s Performance and Strategy
“I am very honest and I got the feeling we had started well the first 20 minutes, causing them problems with a high press. I had the sensation we could hurt them,” the coach added. “I am sorry that these are games that get ruined by red cards, because you can never know how things would’ve gone and how the teams measure up really against each other. I’ve been a player, I know that fatigue also sets in after a while when you are down to 10, so I had to introduce fresh legs.”
Matteo Politano had initially performed well in defense against Doku. However, his substitution after receiving a yellow card, which led to a change to a 3-5-2 formation, subsequently allowed Manchester City to break through.
“Matteo is not a wing-back, and he was being forced to play that role. He can drop down when needed to help out, but if he has to just stay in that position, then others are more suitable. We tried to bring home a result and changed our shape to do it,” confessed Conte. “I am happy with the spirit of sacrifice from my players and I leave this match with positive sensations about our European progress. Those are my feelings.”
Despite the loss, Antonio Conte commended his players for their attitude and willingness to sacrifice for the team. He highlighted that the squad displayed maturity by preventing a heavy defeat against a powerful adversary, which could have had more severe long-term consequences.
Regarding Napoli`s offensive strategy with Rasmus Hojlund isolated upfront, Conte clarified: “These are matches where you are ultimately forced to defend. We conceded precisely when we tried to press high on a throw-in. That was a mistake. Our intention had been to press and get into these individual duels, but when you are down to 10, you’ve got to defend and hope for a counter-attack.”
“We didn’t want to do that, but we had to. When we did try to press them, we conceded. It was an excess of generosity. We need to be more mature, understand the situations, when not to press high if you are 10 against 11. This is why I say that I am nonetheless happy with the mentality of these lads. We had pretty much never been down to 10 last season, so this was the first time we were tested like this, and it was against the strongest opponent. I saw positive things, the way we came here with the desire to play on an even level.”
He further elaborated, “I was honestly angrier after the win over Fiorentina, as we took our foot off the gas in the last 10 minutes. These are games where if you don’t use your head and hold on, you can concede five or six goals against Manchester City and those stay with you, so we avoided that.”
Conte also confirmed that Di Lorenzo`s red card means he will be suspended for Napoli`s next Champions League fixture against Sporting CP, scheduled for October 1st at the Stadio Maradona.
