Champions League, Conte: "A bitter taste in the mouth, Napoli were excellent in the first 20 minutes. De Bruyne? A cruel fate."

Antonio Conte is bitter after Napoli's defeat at Manchester City. At the Etihad Stadium, the English side won 2-0 on the first matchday of the Champions League League Phase , but for the Italian manager, the verdict doesn't quite tell the full story of the match.

"We started well. In the first twenty minutes I saw an organized Napoli, one that could have caused City problems, " Conte told Sky Sport. " Then the sending off changed our plans. Playing against Guardiola with eleven men is already extremely difficult; with ten men it becomes almost impossible. I won't go into the merits of the referee's decision, but it's clear that from then on we couldn't play the game we had planned."

Despite the defeat, Conte emphasized the team's spirit: "I'm proud of the lads' dedication and determination. I'm leaving the game feeling positive, because even in difficult times, we never gave up." He had a special thought for Kevin De Bruyne, who was substituted due to being outnumbered: "Fate can be cruel sometimes. Last year, he only received one red card all season, and this year it came today. I was sad to have to take him off, because it would have been a special night for him, playing in his former stadium against his former club. But it was the only choice."