In Conte's official debut as Napoli coach, the team played a fierce Coppa Italia match against Serie B side Modena. Despite the superiority of the field, Napoli failed to break the deadlock in the regular time, and finally passed through the penalty shootout. After the match, Conte was interviewed by the media, analyzing the match in depth and looking forward to the challenges of the new season.
Conte began by talking about his choice of a 3-4-2-1 formation. He stated that this formation provides the team with more defensive coverage compared to last season's commonly used 4-3-3, and allows for more flexibility in attack for wing players such as Politano and Kvaratskhelya. Although the team created a large number of chances on goal during the game (28 shots in total), Conte also pointed out the players' lack of composure in front of goal and the need to further improve the quality of their shots.
Regarding the problems that arose during the match, Conte attributed them mainly to the way the game went. He emphasized the need for the wing players to insert themselves into the box more often in order to create chances, while midfielders Angouisa and Lobotka as well as center backs Di Lorenzo and Buon Giorno were involved in the attacking attempts. However, such a tactical arrangement also increased the team's risk in counter-attacks. Nevertheless, Conte was satisfied with the team's overall performance, believing that the team did a good job on the defensive end and didn't give too many chances to the opponents.
Speaking on player issues, Conte said he understands the struggles the team is currently facing. He specifically mentioned the vacancy in the center forward position and the efforts of Raspadoli and Simeone in the game. Although both players did their job in the game, they were limited in the box due to lack of adequate support. Conte praised Raspadoli and Simeone and emphasized their importance in the team.
In addition, Conte also talked about the situation in the transfer market. He stated that he is fully compliant with the club and understands the constraints he faces in the transfer market. He emphasized that he is not after specific players, but wants the entire Napoli team to become stronger. Regarding the rumors of Osmeen's departure and the blockage of the Lukaku deal, Conte said that these are objective facts, but he believes that the team can overcome these difficulties and achieve good results.
Looking ahead to the new Serie A season, Napoli will face Verona on the road in the first round. For this upcoming match, Conte said that the team is ready and will do their best to win. He believes that with the concerted efforts of all the players and the coaching team, Napoli will be able to show more strength and better performance in the new season.
