Conte Rises Level of Tension to an Uncomfortable Level | OneFootball

The loss to Bologna had an intense coda at Napoli, as Antonio Conte lashed out against his players and is poised for a meeting with the brass to take stock and decide what to do going forward. The rumors started swirling to the point that president Aurelio De Laurentiis had to take to X to clarify that the coach didn’t hand in his resignation.

According to La Repubblica, the manager decided to move the spotlight to the squad because he felt he was the only one being criticized for the subpar showings. They have already lost 5 times in 15 matches across all competitions. The boss expects more especially from those who have been in Campania for longer time.

Conte solidified his authority in front of the Napoli locker room by venting. According to Sky (via Virgilio), the players had asked the gaffer to adjust his famously grueling methods to the busier schedule compared to last year. In response, he made only minor adjustments, eliminating the pre-game retreats, but demanded more effort in training.

Our Take on Conte and Napoli

He’s not new to this time of stuff, and it has often worked in the past, lighting a fire under the players. They need to rekindle that this year, but they have also looked gassed in their worst displays. While there are some caveats, it’s not an unusual situation, and that’s why repeating is always harder than winning. They have some holes, some of which are injury-related, but he surely can’t complain about the management, which spared no expenses and complied with every request. The title race appears to be forgiving, so there’s no reason to throw in the towel early.