Antonio Conte received the responses he was looking for after a difficult time with Napoli. The team bounced back from their disappointing loss to Verona and decisively defeated Bologna, showcasing the “real men” Conte had asked for. “We came from a disastrous second half in Verona and we had a great responsibility,” Conte explained after the game. “I said in the press conference that we needed to return the punch we received. We did this also thanks to Maradona, who was like our twelfth man, amplifying the signal we sent as a team.”
Napoli demonstrated a solid performance, both on the pitch and in the locker room. “These first three points must be a starting point for us to believe in what we are doing. The players supported each other, and we’re happy to return to winning at Maradona, which hasn’t happened in a while.”
When it comes to the transfer market, Conte kept his cards close to his chest, similar to how his Napoli squad performed. “I can’t wait for the transfer deals to close, and I’ll talk about new arrivals when they officially join us. Today, Raspadori and Simeone played well, and we also saw Buongiorno, who I hope can symbolize the present and future of Napoli. Neres even came on towards the end.”
Conte also praised the veteran players in his squad: “Di Lorenzo and Kvara were exceptional; thanks to them, we created many opportunities. Maybe we interpreted Bologna’s pressing game well today, but against teams that sit back, we’ve struggled a bit. We will work to improve this aspect.”