In the 24th round of Serie A, Napoli defeated Genoa 3-2. After the match, Napoli head coach Antonio Conte was interviewed by Serie A's official broadcaster and attended the press conference.
Congratulations on your 400th career win, could you define this victory with three adjectives?
“It takes a lot of luck to get to 400 wins, that's for sure. I consider myself a very lucky coach, not a particularly outstanding one, the kind of person who's extraordinarily fortunate.”
“What more can be said about today's game? We basically caused all the problems ourselves, and Genoa's goals were also chances we gifted them. This is a victory of immense value, with many setbacks along the way—an injury 30 seconds into the game, a conceded penalty, and a 0-1 deficit. In a fiery stadium, against an opponent strong in technique, tactics and individual ability, this situation is enough to break you—and new difficulties pop up every weekend.”
How did you turn the game around?
“We reclaimed control of the game's tempo and turned the tide, and it felt like we were in absolute control for the entire match. We had another injury in the second half, which let them equalise to 2-2—something that could also break you competitively, but we held firm under pressure. Then the team was reduced to 10 men, which could have completely derailed our plans.”
What did you see when you were down to 10 men?
“On the contrary, we played extremely well, maintained discipline, and never gave up the idea of scoring. In fact, with 10 men against 11, Gutierrez missed a brilliant golden chance. In the end, we scored from the penalty spot to win this tough game against a strong side. It's never easy to pick up points at the Marassi Stadium, and I also want to congratulate Genoa—they proved again today that they are an excellent team.”
Is this a message you're sending to yourselves and the league?
“Win or lose, we have to give it our all and leave the pitch with our heads held high.”
How are McTominay and Gilmore doing?
“McTominay has been dealing with a tendon problem between his hip and hamstring since the start of the season. Sometimes the inflammation flairs up worse, and other times the medical staff can keep it under better control. He said he could come on in the second half, but couldn't sprint at full pace—I'd rather have a player at 100% fitness than take the risk. Hopefully he can recover by Tuesday, because we have a Coppa Italia quarter-final, and we need 11 available players. Our opponents Como have no game this round and will field their strongest side.”
What are you most satisfied with today?
“The players showed true team spirit. The wind was strong today and the odds were against us, but we stood our ground throughout and always found the right solutions, including the contributions from the bench.”
“I'm sorry about Jesus' injury—I was planning to substitute him with Oliveira. As for Gilmore, he has recovered from surgery but still feels a slight discomfort. The muscle issues from his national team duty have been resolved, and now he has some back trouble, which the medical staff are addressing.”
“Don't forget Di Lorenzo is also sidelined—it's not just a loss in quality, but also in character and leadership. The team's response in this regard today was excellent. I think we're doing something incredible, something extraordinary, and we're being underestimated. We coaches are responsible for the preparation, but it's the players who step onto the pitch and decide the game. Without good players, it's hard to win, hard to get the results you want.”
Is this the most difficult season for you?
“This is a ridiculous season. If we're sensible enough, we have to reflect on our transfer operations and why we can't supplement our squad from the youth academy system. We've been hit with many long-term injuries—De Bruyne, Gilmore, Lukaku, Anguissa, Di Lorenzo, and now we have to wait and see about McTominay's situation.”
"I want to praise everyone, including young players like Villegas and Ambrosino. Right now, we can only pick up the pieces and start thinking about Tuesday's game against Como. They've had a rest, so it will be a very difficult match, and we hope to have McTominay back because he's an important player for us."
