Antonio Conte is questioning whether his Napoli side is under a curse due to their ongoing injury woes. Kevin De Bruyne was the latest to suffer, injuring himself after scoring from a disputed penalty against Inter.
Despite his tears as he left the pitch, he watched from the sidelines as Napoli secured a 3-1 win, reclaiming the Serie A top spot.
Napoli’s triumph came despite missing key players like Stanislav Lobotka, Amir Rrahmani, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alex Meret. Romelu Lukaku has also been absent since pre-season. Conte expressed his thoughts to DAZN, quoted by Football Italia: “To have won this game, with all the difficulties that we had, missing players like Lobotka, Rrahmani, Meret and Hojlund, then losing De Bruyne, with Lukaku out since pre-season… Perhaps someone has cursed us, but we keep going anyway.”
Conte believes Inter remains the strongest team in Serie A despite Napoli’s victory. He stated: “I live the game with my players, for good and bad, and we played against, in my view, the best squad in Italy. They dropped some points along the way, but their squad is on paper on a completely different level to all the others.” He acknowledged their Champions League achievements as no accident.
Inter arrived at the match determined to dominate Napoli. Conte noted their intent: “Inter came here today aiming to on a sporting level, kill us, as they were in great shape. If you understand that moment of the campaign, you have to kill your opponent, but we had no intention of dying.” Despite challenges, Napoli delivered an impressive performance.
This victory marked a significant milestone for Conte. He has now reached 100 points in Serie A with three different clubs. Despite injuries and challenges faced by his team this season, Conte’s leadership continues to drive success on the field.
While Napoli are current champions of Serie A, Conte acknowledges Inter’s strength and depth. Their ability to reach two Champions League Finals in three years highlights their calibre. This recognition underscores the competitive nature of Italian football this season.
The match against Inter showcased Napoli’s resilience amid adversity. Despite numerous injuries and setbacks throughout the season, they continue to perform at a high level under Conte’s guidance. The team’s determination remains evident as they strive for continued success in Serie A.