Napoli manager Antonio Conte expresses deep frustration following his team’s hard-fought Serie A victory over Fiorentina on Saturday. With multiple key players sidelined by injuries, Conte highlights the toll of the packed schedule on his squad.
Injury Crisis Deepens
Champions Napoli faces a mounting injury list after a demanding series of matches. Players including Kevin De Bruyne, David Neres, Billy Gilmour, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Matteo Politano, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic remain unavailable. The situation escalated when captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo suffered what appears to be a severe knee injury during the game against Fiorentina, forcing him off the field in pain.
Conte describes the relentless pace as unsustainable. “There’s not much we can say, it’s game upon game upon game,” he states. “We have to keep using players who ought to be rested and yet can’t, and it leads to these situations.” He emphasizes the broader impact: “I continue to say playing all these matches kills the players and kills football. If we have to play 60 games per year, we need a bigger squad; otherwise, it’s suicide.”
Regarding Di Lorenzo’s condition, Conte shares a grim assessment: “The sensation is he’s done serious damage to his knee, and it’s the cruciate ligament. It’s nasty.”
Systemic Issues in Football
Conte criticizes the cycle driving the sport’s demands. “Clubs don’t seem to understand it’s like a dog chasing its own tail,” he explains. “You fight to qualify for all these tournaments to get more money, but it’s ephemeral because the more competitions you are in, the more players you have to buy, and the more the wage bill goes up.”
Resilience Amid Limitations
Despite the challenges, the 56-year-old coach commends his players’ efforts. “We are talking about a team trying to do its best with what we have at our disposal,” Conte notes. “Fortunately, we picked up these points, but if the season had started today and we had this squad, what position do you think Napoli would be challenging for? Be realistic.”
He adds, “We are managing to plug the holes because these lads are doing extraordinary things. Once again, there weren’t many options on the bench. It’s best we wrap this up, or I’ll say something else and get into trouble.”
