Conte fires up Napoli: "A special night for Diego, but Qarabag are tough" | OneFootball

A few moments before the kickoff of the Champions League match against Qarabag, Napoli's coach, Antonio Conte, spoke to Sky Sport to comment on the importance of the match and his team selection. The challenge, scheduled at the Maradona Stadium, holds a special significance.

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“It's a special evening for many reasons,” Conte began, referring to the memory of Diego Armando Maradona on the anniversary of his passing. However, the coach quickly shifted focus to the sporting aspect, emphasizing what's at stake: “These ninety minutes can say a lot about our journey in the Champions League.”

Despite the need to win, Conte expressed great respect for the opponent. “You know, all matches are important, but it's inevitable that tonight's game holds great importance also for the fans. We are well aware of the value of a team that will have the same game plan as us, and there is great respect towards them,” the coach admitted. He then warned against the mistake of underestimating the Azerbaijanis, recalling their achievements: “Also because [Qarabag] has seven points and has achieved very good results against even renowned teams. At the same time, we want to continue doing well.”

Regarding team selection, Conte provided ample confirmations compared to the eleven that defeated Atalanta in the league. The 3-4-3 formation is confidently proposed again, and the coach particularly emphasized the importance of the offensive trio: “There are many confirmations compared to the last league game, starting with David Neres and Noa Lang. Evidently, the response [in the previous game] was more than positive.”

The coach then explained the reasons behind choosing to field the same players: “There's also the need to manage energy, they scored goals, and it was right to give them confidence to try to manage their emotional aspect as well.” On injuries, in conclusion, he said: “These are things I can't control. The sprain was the last thing we needed: it's unfortunate, we talk about many things but in the end having or not having the players becomes fundamentally important.”

Andrea Alati

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