The draw in Copenhagen weighs as much as a defeat, and Antonio Conte makes no secret of it. After the 1-1 draw against the Danes, who were down to ten men from the 35th minute, the Napoli coach opted for maximum frankness, questioning the team's competitiveness.
"Despite the absences and fatigue, a match like this must be won. Perhaps our level isn't up to this competition, given that we've only earned eight points. We need to make a huge mea culpa," says Conte, visibly shaken, without seeking mitigating circumstances. "There's little to talk about, we just need to be very angry with ourselves. Perhaps we didn't grasp the importance of what was at stake."
A point that means little, especially in view of the final and decisive match against Chelsea, which will decide the Azzurri's European future. The feeling is that of a wasted opportunity, as the coach himself bitterly emphasizes. "There must be disappointment because it's a match that was in the best possible conditions to win and take a step forward to play in the playoffs. We could have a thousand extenuating circumstances, but today they don't count because we should have won."
Conte then broadens his focus to their European performance away from Maradona, a theme that's starting to become a structural one. "For the fourth consecutive time, we've shown that we struggle in the Champions League away from home, despite being in complete control of the game. This is a draw that hurts me, and it must hurt the players too," he insists, calling for a collective awareness.
The injury crisis remains on the table, but without turning it into an excuse for everything. "We're trying to do our best with the players we have available. We have to work hard and offer the best version of ourselves. Today we could have done much better," says the coach, who is already looking ahead to the league match against Juventus, his Juventus. "For Juventus, we'll count our numbers and prepare for the match," he concludes, implying that anger and pride will have to be Napoli's first responses.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The draw against the Danes was a disappointment for the team, indeed, a wasted opportunity. Conte is right, we must do better if we want to advance in the Champions League. Injuries cannot be an excuse.