A never-ending night, capped only by a penalty shootout that Antonio Conte calls "endless." The Napoli coach, after the Coppa Italia round of 16 victory over Cagliari, spoke of the tension he experienced at the Maradona Stadium and his pride in a team that, despite being short on rotation, managed to keep the ball rolling until the very last moment.
"It was an interminable series; last year against Modena we also went to penalties. This one was much tougher, because all the players were very good and it was difficult for the goalkeepers. In the end, the team that deserved it most went through.", he explained in a press conference. The regret focused on the goal conceded: "It's disappointing to hear the goal from McTominay's inadvertent and fortuitous touch. We're happy; everyone responded well. We know we're not many, but we have to move forward and make a virtue of necessity."
The analysis continues with a praise for the general attitude: "I'm happy with everyone's effort. There was great energy; some players who play less have dropped off, but that's to be expected. After the equalizer, we had three key chances where Caprile played well. Now we need to recover and prepare for the next match."
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The large and inevitable turnover is a choice that Conte supports: "Sometimes you're forced to do certain things with the future in mind. We did it with Lazio too; we needed to see players from the start. We play every three days and we can't just play with the same players. I'm happy with the response we've gotten; we know it'll be tough. We all have to do what we're doing, with great responsibility on everyone's part."
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