Conte: ‘Either Napoli do it right or I go into battle with these lads’

epa11834807 Napoli’s coach Antonio Conte looks on during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and SSC Napoli in Bergamo, Italy, 18 January 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

Antonio Conte has seen vast growth from his Napoli to conquer Atalanta, but warns the club over a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia replacement. ‘We need to do it right, otherwise I go into battle with these lads.’

The Partenopei had a rough start in Bergamo, going behind early on to the Mateo Retegui strike, but Matteo Politano and Scott McTominay turned it around.

Ademola Lookman scored a sensational solo goal taking on four opponents, until Romelu Lukaku’s glancing header secured a precious 3-2 win against one of the other Scudetto contenders.

Does Conte still insist that Napoli are just ‘causing trouble’ in the title race rather than being contenders for the title?

“Causing trouble is already doing something, because it says everything and nothing,” smiled Conte on Sky Sport Italia.

This was the first victory all season for Napoli against one of the other Scudetto battlers and cancels out the 3-0 home defeat suffered at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona back in November 2024.

“I had already said before the match that this team has grown a lot. Don’t forget that just over two months ago, Atalanta put three goals past us at home. This was a very different game in every way. I had also expected us to grow a great deal in that time, although I wasn’t expecting us to face them again so soon,” continued the coach.

“I think if we’d had even more time to go through the process, we’d have done even better. The team has above all grown in dealing with difficulties, that is what I want to underline.

“We are facing some situations, both in terms of injuries and most recently the transfer market, situations that would kill a bull, but we are still standing. We don’t complain, we keep working and I always say that I have a group of players who are eager to work hard.

“The improvement of each individual player then allows us to improve collectively too.”

Conte outlines Napoli plans after Kvaratskhelia

The only long-term absentee is defender Alessandro Buongiorno with a back injury, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was sold to Paris Saint-Germain last night for €70m plus bonuses.

With the Georgia international’s departure, Napoli are looking for a replacement, so does Conte want an experienced player or someone with potential?

“I leave the decision to the club. I don’t get into the transfer market. If they were to ask me something, I would express my thoughts. I will just say that what do we want potential for, a youth team player? Let’s not take people for a ride here,” shrugged an irritated coach.

“I also recognise that if we try to sign someone experienced, the press will say ‘oh it’s a Scudetto player for Conte,’ so anything will be emphasised.

“If we need to do things, we need to do them right, otherwise we will continue with these lads. I already said yesterday that at the end of the day everyone can express their opinion on whether we are stronger or weaker, but objective facts are that the ‘best’ players who helped win the Scudetto two years ago have all left. That’s Kim Min-jae, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia and Zielinski, without counting Mario Rui or Elmas.

“Compared to last season, Osimhen, Zielinski and Kvara have left. We need to keep our heads down, keep working, not complain about anything. If the club wants to do something, then they will, otherwise I go into battle with these lads and know they will never let me down.

“There aren’t many of us, but we are the right ones and we’re starved,” concluded Conte.