Napoli woes: injuries, nerves and reds as Conte seeks a way out | OneFootball

Overwhelmed by the latest international shocks and caught in the whirlwind of the calendar, Napoli returns to the championship like someone coming home after a hurricane. The national teams have left behind injuries, fatigue, and discontent, especially for those who did not secure direct qualification for the next World Cup, while the standings remain a tangle that allows no distractions: Inter and Roma are speeding ahead, Milan and Atalanta are chasing, while Napoli wavers.

Napoli, Conte called to provide answers: restarting with three big matches

The statistic is harsh: five losses in fifteen matches. A fall every three rounds. That's Napoli, swinging from euphoria to agony in a heartbeat. Conte knows this and doesn't mince words: "No one is being coddled here." The conciliatory front responds indignantly, but meanwhile, the episodes are turned around like marked cards: VAR, dubious penalties, muscle aches sprouting like autumn mushrooms. Thirteen stops in a few weeks. And De Bruyne and Anguissa are just the tip of the iceberg.

Meanwhile, they restart with three dizzying encounters: Napoli-Atalanta, then Napoli-Qarabag in the Champions League, and finally Roma-Napoli at the Olimpico. Such delicate junctions that they could change an entire season. It begins with Palladino's Atalanta, which isn't coming to play a supporting role. The coach wants a fierce, vertical team capable of suffocating the blue team's passing game. Conte, more of a Savoyard than Neapolitan school, demands "soldiers," not extras.

The coach from Lecce, in short, still enjoys broad credit, a sign of a fan base that — at least for now — remains calm, despite the latest lackluster performance in Bologna. A patience that, in other times and with other coaches, like the troubled Rudi Garcia chapter, would have evaporated much faster. But there's a point that no one can ignore: the seven million salary. A weight that allows no excuses, nor half measures. Napoli wants answers, immediately. And this time, they are not willing to offer any discounts.

Andrea Alati

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