Conte: ‘Napoli common good is what matters, Banda frightened me’ | OneFootball

Antonio Conte warns Napoli that he will be ruthless for the ‘common good, which is Champions League qualification,’ and reveals what he saw with Lameck Banda’s collapse.

It was the worst possible start to the game at the Stadio Maradona when Lecce took the lead in the third minute, as Jamil Siebert was allowed a free header on a corner.

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 14: Matteo Politano of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring his side second goal during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Lecce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

The Partenopei struggled to get back into it, but were transformed at half-time when introducing Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay off the bench.

They equalised within 60 seconds thanks to Rasmus Hojlund meeting a Matteo Politano pull-back, then Politano ended his 43-match drought to turn it around completely for a third consecutive victory.

Conte keeps eye on big picture for Napoli

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 14: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Lecce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“I am not someone who tends to pay attention to statistics, but I can only be satisfied when hearing I have such a good record,” Conte told DAZN Italia when informed he has an average of 2.21 points per game in Serie A.

Although De Bruyne had made his comeback last week against Torino, this was his first appearance at the Stadio Maradona since he suffered that serious thigh tear on October 25, converting a penalty against Inter.

With everyone available again, how could this change the Napoli line-up?

“These are all hypotheticals, because we are talking about players who have been out for four or five months, so we cannot expect them to immediately be in good shape,” replied Conte.

“We started out using Elmas against Torino with Gilmour, then in the second half I brought on Anguissa and pushed Elmas further forward. Today we started with Anguissa and Gilmour, then Elmas as a Number 10.

“As we were losing the match, I changed again. These are great players, but we must give them time to regain the match tempo.

“It’s true that the lads need to regain confidence, but the most important thing is the common good, which is what is good for Napoli.

“I made choices today and made changes at half-time. Everyone wants to play, but we’ve got to be smart and they must trust what I see and feel.

“The most important thing is that we qualify for the Champions League.”

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 14: Lameck Banda of US Lecce collapsed during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Lecce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

There was also tension in the final minutes when Lecce player Lameck Banda collapsed near to Conte on the touchline, so the coach alerted the medical staff to get him treatment.

According to the latest reports, Banda received a knock to the chest moments earlier and was struggling to breathe, but did not appear to lose consciousness.

“I was right there preparing the wall for a free kick and I saw him looking a bit shaky, he started to go down, then he had his hand on his chest, which really frightened me,” revealed Conte.

“I rushed onto the field and called for help, I hope he is doing well and has a quick recovery. Banda is a good lad, he’s expecting a baby too, so I wish him and his family well.”