Conte: ‘Moment of truth’ for Napoli in Fiorentina and Man City tests | OneFootball

Antonio Conte believes that Napoli are now approaching their ‘moment of truth’ as they prepare for their return to the Champions League, and the challenges of playing every couple of days for the foreseeable future.

Conte: ‘Moment of truth’ for Napoli ahead of Champions League return

Napoli won the Serie A title in 2024-25, and earned a return to the Champions League after a one-season absence in the process. Conte and his players only had the occasional Coppa Italia fixture to contend with last term.

For the Partenopei, this week marks the return of Champions League football, beginning with a test against Premier League giants Manchester City at the Etihad on Thursday evening. They will be up against Fiorentina on Saturday in Serie A before then, though.

NAPLES, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Frank Anguissa of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring his side last second winner during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on August 30, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“It’s the moment of truth,” Conte said during his pre-match press conference when asked about preserving energy within the squad.

“We will start playing every three days, and it will definitely be a complex season for us. We relied on ‘certainties’ during our first two games, now, with games every three days, we will bring new players in and we will definitely need a bit of patience and understanding if there are some mistakes.

NAPLES, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Lorenzo Lucca of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on August 30, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“We will have to be patient and bring the new guys in. They’ve also come in with great expectations. We must be tolerant if things do not go well. We’ve built this squad to prepare for our many commitments, which weren’t there last year.

“This year the need was to complete the squad, and now the moment of truth begins for injuries, energy and rotations. There will be space for everyone.”