Napoli coach Conte ‘really disappointed’ after no communication since Lukaku return | OneFootball

Napoli head coach Antonio Conte left the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona a happy man tonight, after his side delivered a convincing 4-0 win against a struggling Cremonese.

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Conte was, for the most part, all smiles in his post-match comments, where he praised some of his team’s top performers on the night and the squad’s desire for revenge after the 2-0 loss to Lazio last weekend.

However, the coach sounded more forlorn when asked about Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian returned to Naples earlier this week after a peculiar absence in which the Belgian failed to report for training in March and was subsequently fined by the club for his unauthorised absence.

NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 24: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Cremonese at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 24, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Conte: ‘The coach tries to understand everyone, but no one tries to understand the coach’

Conte was asked if he had the chance to speak to Lukaku yet and, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, the coach revealed the latest:

‘No, I haven’t had the chance yet. I know one of our directors spoke to him, he came to the training ground, my office was right there… but nobody knocked on the door – and that really disappointed me because I would have expected a greeting, a message or something.

‘In these situations, the coach tries to understand everyone, but no one makes the effort to understand the coach.’

Clearly, a sign that all is not as it once was with Lukaku at Napoli, as speculation continues to grow over his future.

The Belgian suffered an injury in pre-season that kept him out for most of the campaign and his latest absence means he has played a bit-part role.

Lukaku played a bigger part in Napoli’s Scudetto winning campaign last season but the club have brought in both Rasmus Hojlund and Giovane this season, the former having at least plugged the gap left by the Belgian in the meantime.