Napoli: Sabatini says Conte motivates, trust key to bounce back | OneFootball

In an interview with Repubblica, Walter Sabatini — an experienced executive and authoritative voice in Italian football — offers a clear analysis of the complex moment Napoli is currently experiencing.

Napoli, Sabatini’s take: “Conte doesn’t blame the team, he encourages them. Trust is needed to get back on track”

According to him, the key is simple: “let’s trust Conte.” The coach, Sabatini argues, knows perfectly well the psychological cycle that follows a triumphant season and is trying to spark a turnaround.

“The three-day leave? A normal decision in a high-pressure environment”

When asked about the leave granted to Conte to step away from daily work, Sabatini responds pragmatically: “Honestly, I don’t find this decision so surprising. He must have built up a lot of tension and a few days to unplug is definitely necessary. It seems to me like a decision shared with the club. I don’t see anything strange about it. Right now, there’s a lot of pressure in Naples.”

The analysis introduces a concept often ignored in public debate: post-title pressure. A psychological condition that erodes certainties and clarity, especially in ambitious environments.

“The pressure comes from missing results: post-title is the most difficult moment”

Sabatini elaborates: “I see a lot of pressure due to the lack of results. It’s never easy to manage the period after winning the title. Maybe people thought it would be easy to win it again. But that’s not the case. Conte knows this well and has repeated it often in recent months. Confirming yourself is always harder, and Napoli is experiencing this dynamic.”

Here Sabatini introduces a crucial point for the thematic optimization of the article: the difficulty of confirming oneself. A recurring theme in football analysis and one sought after by readers trying to understand the drop in performance of champion teams.

“Napoli still has the strength to bounce back”

When asked about the team’s possible resurgence, the executive responds with cautious optimism: “In my opinion, yes. A couple of positive results will be enough to forget about this situation. Napoli remains a strong team and can still have its say.”

The central idea is that the crisis is not structural, but cyclical. A phase linked more to emotional management than technical quality.

Conte’s words after Bologna don’t divide, but motivate the group

One of the most delicate points concerns the interpretation of Conte’s statements after the Bologna match. Sabatini clarifies: “No. Conte didn’t speak against the team, he tried to provoke a reaction by appealing to the pride of an important group full of values that won the title last season. He tried to spur the locker room.”

This perspective overturns the reading of some commentators: not a destructive criticism, but a motivational strategy, an attempt to bring out again the winning identity that the locker room has already shown it possesses.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.