Napoli 0-2 Lazio: Antonio Conte says club president can say ‘whatever he wants’ | OneFootball

Serie A side Napoli suffered a disastrous 2-0 loss to Lazio in Naples, pretty much handing Inter the title.

The Roman side looked the better team throughout, scoring first through Matteo Cancellieri. In the second half, Toma Basic doubled the lead and Kenneth Taylor nearly made it 3-0 too.

Napoli looked largely toothless and are now 12 points behind Inter in the table.

Conte spoke to DAZN after the loss to Lazio. He talked about the game and revealed his frustration about the showing.

He said – via AreaNapoli: “We didn’t show enough quality in midfield. Lazio closed off the spaces, waited, and then counterattacked. We had 70% possession and we didn’t manage to get a shot on target. We weren’t good at finding space; we had been studying the game. The feeling was that we lacked energy: they’re a team that becomes difficult when they lack energy.”

It didn’t end there as Conte also spoke about his future and the speculation surrounding it, with Italy linked with hiring him.

“Generally speaking, last year too, with two months to go until the end of the season, people started talking about other teams. I let you talk; sometimes I say things and they’re misunderstood and exploited. I assume that the quieter everyone stays, the better until the end of the season.”

Conte further said his name is being used in the media to create a narrative: “Then, behind the scenes, we can see each other and do a thousand things. It’s a matter of respect. I understand that my name is used to create headlines and broadcasts, but I can’t help it: sometimes they make things up and exploit them.”

He was also asked about president Aurelio de Laurentiis’ comments to the Athletic about his relationship with Conte.

The ex-Chelsea manager responded with a rather stern answer.

“That’s the president’s problem. The president can speak and say whatever he wants. I won’t respond to the president. If I had to respond, I’d do so privately, without flaunting things publicly and exposing them to everyone.”

This should spark further doubt about Conte’s future, without a shadow of doubt. While a lot of it is just frustration talking, the Italian hasn’t helped himself with his comments whatsoever.