NAPLES - “Antonio Conte isn't someone who imposes a universal method, but a coach who knows how to read the context and understand the individualities of his players.” Mauro Berruto, former coach of the men's national volleyball team and now head of sports for the Democratic Party, spoke to Radio Crc about the debate surrounding the training methods of the current Napoli coach.
In the last few days, after the break granted by Tale Until Monday, the conversation was back to his intense pace and his management of the group. But Berruto reversed the perspective: "Conte believes in physical work, but he also sees it as a way to train the mind. Putting the body through hardship helps develop resilience, character, and the ability to face an opponent with a collective identity."
According to the author of the book Give everything, ask for everything, the philosophy of the Salento coach is clear: "First you give, then you ask. And this sequence represents the responsibility Conte takes on personally. When he arrived at Juventus from Lecce, he worked three times harder than necessary to prove he was worthy. He doesn't impose anything he hasn't first done for himself."
Berruto acknowledges that football, like all sports, has changed. "Today, athletes have a different ability to listen, and attention must be earned in other ways. But the principle remains the same: results are still directly proportional to how much and how well you train. And Conte knows this very well."
The international break offered Napoli a moment of respite, but it didn't entirely dispel the tension surrounding Antonio Conte's bench. The coach, fresh from an unusual week's break granted by the club, returned to Castel Volturno to oversee the resumption of training ahead of the home match against Atalanta.
The stated goal is to reverse the trend after a series of lackluster performances that have dented initial enthusiasm. However, the expectation for a turnaround is intertwined with bookmakers' assessments, which continue to consider an early departure possible. According to Agipronews, Snai is offering odds of 2 on the possibility of a dismissal or resignation by January 6th, a sign of less than solid confidence.
A former Napoli player has sent a message of support for Antonio Conte. Rino Gattuso, now the national team's coach, defended the Salento-born coach after his bitter comments after the Bologna match.
“I know there's a great coach there, someone who's won a lot and who knows how to move.”he said Gattuso. "I worked in Naples for 19 months: when you win, it's always difficult to repeat that feat, but Antonio has the strength and ability to overcome this moment, which isn't such a bad one. Looking at the standings, they're all there."
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Comments (1)
What Berruto says is interesting, but I think training methods should be more player-friendly. Some might not be able to handle such intense training. Listening is important, but so is physical well-being.