Napoli, trial at Castel Volturno: Conte cancels rest and lays into the team | OneFootball

No truce, no day off. Antonio Conte has chosen the iron-fist approach in the wake of the disappointing performance in Udine. Yesterday in Castel Volturno, a tense meeting took place—a swift inquest to analyze a defeat described as lackluster and submissive.

Napoli, no relaxation before Riyadh: team surprised by the Coach’s decision

As revealed in today’s edition of Il Mattino, the coach from Salento caught everyone off guard. The team, convinced they would enjoy 24 hours of rest to recharge before the long trip to Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup—where their stay in Riyadh will last at least until Friday—found themselves instead summoned to the training center. A decision that left the players surprised, but one Conte deemed necessary to send an unmistakable message.

The meeting was tough, with no filters. The newspaper speaks of “draconian methods”: Conte does not use “syrupy clichés” to make himself understood and put the group face to face with their responsibilities. The analysis of the match at the Bluenergy Stadium was ruthless, touching on sore points: there was talk of physical and mental fatigue, but above all of complacency, arrogance, and technical limitations that suddenly resurfaced. Those who do not obey are lost, summarizes the newspaper, highlighting how the coach did not want to wait even a day before looking his men in the eyes. There is no time for excuses or to enjoy their position in the standings: before flying to the desert, Napoli must rediscover humility and a hunger for competition, and Conte has decided that the best way to do so was to cancel their time off and get straight back to sweating on the pitch.

Andrea Alati

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