Antonio Conte is still pushing Napoli to perform better even after their 2-1 victory over Fiorentina. He believes they should be scoring more goals and emphasizes that their entire season will be decided in the final 10 games.
Napoli had not won at home for six weeks and knew they had to win to stay in the Serie A title race after Inter Milan’s win.
It was a hard-fought victory, with Romelu Lukaku scoring on a rebound and Giacomo Raspadori adding another goal, despite Fiorentina making it close towards the end.
“I saw a team that definitely deserved to win,” Conte stated.
“I think we could have capitalized more on our chances and been less nervous at the end. We have been losing points recently by conceding late goals.
“Keeping the score at 2-1 creates tension. However, we had the right approach, created many opportunities, but we need to be more effective in scoring.”
Conte had publicly criticized his forwards earlier in the week. Was he trying to motivate them?
“We all have our backgrounds. I speak honestly. We should have scored more goals today given the chances we created, so we must improve,” the coach explained.
“You build teams to win based on certain principles. Knowing about building winning teams, I speak up when necessary.
“Romelu is improving; his performances against Inter and today were his best for Napoli. He needs confidence, and if he plays dominantly, our team has a better chance of winning. He can control the ball and assist teammates.”
Conte Increases Pressure on Napoli
This win keeps Napoli close to Inter in the league standings, although Conte is still playing down their title chances.
“There are 10 finals left, we must give everything, and I have to make tough decisions. No one is guaranteed a starting spot. We will field the players who are in the best condition, and those returning from injury must prove their fitness.
“Even with challenges, we are still competitive. That’s a fact. We will keep pushing and trying to cause an upset.”
Recalling his first Scudetto win with Juventus, when he said Milan needed to “spit blood” to win, he was asked if he sees a similar situation now.
“There were fewer games left then, and Milan with stars like Ibrahimovic, Nesta, and Thiago Silva were showing weakness,” Conte responded.
“Today, we are up against an Inter team that is well-equipped to win and has been built over time to achieve this.”
“The top of the league is tight. Some team will win the Scudetto, others will qualify for European competitions. The season will be decided in these 10 games, and we aim to dream big, knowing we must give 200 percent.
“The fans deserve it. The passion in Napoli has been clear since my first day, even when we were just starting to build the team from 10th place, and the Scudetto seemed like a distant dream.
“They have supported us and believed. Now we are trying to repay their faith by bringing them joy. We celebrate today, and tomorrow we start preparing for a tough game against Venezia,” Conte concluded.