Angry Conte aims dig at Spalletti: ‘He has to be more careful when he speaks’ | OneFootball

Antonio Conte has not taken too kindly to a comment made by Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti, describing Napoli as the ‘former champions of Italy’ rather than simply ‘the champions of Italy’ after Juventus’s 3-0 victory over the Partenopei in Serie A: ‘He has to be a little more careful when he speaks’.

What Spalletti said to annoy Conte

Conte and Napoli are on an uncharacteristically poor run of form in the early stages of 2026 with just one win to their name from their last six matches across all competitions.

Their latest disappointment came in the form of a 3-0 defeat against Conte’s former side Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday evening.

TURIN, ITALY – JANUARY 25: Jonathan David of Juventus scores his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli at Juventus Stadium on January 25, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Speaking at his post-match press conference after the Napoli game, Juventus head coach Spalletti said that “winning against the former champions of Italy gives you more certainty that you are becoming a strong team.”

Conte, speaking ahead of Napoli’s Champions League clash against Chelsea, was asked for his response to Spalletti’s remarks, specifically about the phrase ‘former champions’.

He said: “I’d like to take a break after that game, especially when you have three in quick succession. I don’t understand what he said. Former champions? If he said something like that, it wasn’t a great sentence, it was an unfortunate phrase.

TURIN, ITALY – JANUARY 25: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of SSC Napoli, interacts with Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, prior to the Serie A match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli at Juventus Stadium on January 25, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

“We still wear the Scudetto on our chest and that deserves respect. I would have never allowed myself to say something like that to another team. I’m sorry because Luciano Spalletti is a great coach, but he has to be a little more careful when he speaks.

“He can’t say that there are still 16 games left – he’s already taken the Scudetto off us! I’m sorry because we’ve done so much to earn it and we deserve respect. Good luck to him.”