Capello: Napoli lack calm in Champions League, not style of play | OneFootball

Fabio Capello commented for Gazzetta on Napoli's recent defeat in the Champions League against Benfica, highlighting a recurring difficulty for Antonio Conte in the top European competition.

Capello analyzes Conte and Napoli: “In Champions, serenity is missing, the problem is not the play”

According to the former coach, the main issue does not lie in the style of play, but in the ability to convey confidence and calmness to his players.

The difference between the league and Champions according to Capello

Capello emphasizes how Conte dominates in national leagues, in Italy and England: “If you dominate in Italy or England, it means you are technically sound. The problem in the Champions, in my opinion, is psychological,” he explained.

The former coach analyzed the numbers: an average of 2.21 points per game in Serie A this year compared to 1.17 in the Champions League, a clear difference even considering the 48 matches played in past experiences with Juventus, Chelsea, Inter, Tottenham, and Napoli: “Perhaps he cannot convey to the players that calmness and strength as he does in the league. When you play in Europe, you must be convinced of your strength, find confidence, and not be afraid to take risks.”

It's not a matter of tactics, but of mentality

Capello dismisses the idea that European performance is linked to the system of play: “If you win in Serie A or the Premier League, it means your model works. In the Champions League, the problem is more mental: players need to be motivated to play every match as if they were facing PSG, Real, or Manchester City.”

Napoli and the playoffs: Conte needs to recover resources

According to Capello, Napoli remains competitive: “Copenhagen will be a tricky opponent, but Conte has quality and just needs to recover the injured players. If you always play with the same ones, it becomes difficult; everyone needs to have a perfect game.” The former coach urges not to focus on a single objective: “At Da Luz, he should have done everything to win and secure qualification for the playoffs. The dual commitment must be managed without giving up, also for economic reasons.”

The difficulty of Italian teams in the dual European commitment

Capello analyzed the broader problem of Italian football: “We have suffered from the pace of our opponents. Teams like Manchester City or Liverpool have more equipped squads and are used to playing at high intensity. Italian teams often struggle to recover and manage the sequence of high-intensity matches.”

Positive examples: Atalanta and Inter

Not all Italian teams suffer in the same way. Atalanta, for example, was the only team capable of maintaining intensity and dynamism for all 90 minutes against Chelsea: “They have a cup mentality and can reach the top eight.”

Capello also expressed confidence in Chivu's Inter: “They were unlucky in the last two Champions League matches, but they have quality and can avoid the playoffs. Arsenal remains a challenging opponent, but the team has the resources to face them.”

Finally, a comment on Juventus: “They struggled against Pafos, but they have time until January to work. Against Benfica, it will be a challenging match, but they remain a team with room for growth.”

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