Conte unhappy with Serie A fixture list after Champions League exit: ‘Bright idea’ | OneFootball

Antonio Conte praised his Napoli players despite a 3-2 loss against Chelsea and the resulting Champions League elimination, but complained about the Serie A schedule: ‘You have to wonder who had the bright idea to schedule us at 18:00 on Saturday against Fiorentina.’

Napoli were the only Serie A team to face Champions League elimination in the league phase following a 3-2 loss against Chelsea on Wednesday.

The defending Serie A champions have been without several first-team players for over two months, including Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour. The likes of Amir Rrahmani, Matteo Politano and David Neres suffered injuries more recently and are not expected to recover anytime soon.

Conte praised his players during post-match interviews, but also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Serie A fixture list (via TuttoNapoli).

Conte sarcastic about Serie A fixture list

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 11: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of SSC Napoli, looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“I think the performance should be appreciated, the way we played, with courage, everything we did while still going toe to toe with a team that’s built to achieve great things,” Conte said.

“We were clearly in big trouble in terms of players’ availability. Let’s not forget that these same players will be playing again on Saturday, in just two and a half days. You have to wonder who had the bright idea to schedule us at 18:00 on Saturday against Fiorentina, considering there’s a free week anyway. That also leaves me a bit puzzled.

NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 28: Giovanni Di Lorenzo of SSC Napoli looks dejected at full-time following the team’s defeat in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between SSC Napoli and Chelsea FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 28, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“The lads went beyond my expectations. Playing a match like this against Chelsea…we deserved much more than what happened.”

Conte’s Napoli sit fourth in the Serie A table, level on 43 points with Roma.

Inter, Juventus and Atalanta qualified for the next Champions League phase, but finished outside the top eight, so they’ll be involved in the knock-out play-offs.