On September 30th local time, Fabio Capello analyzed the current situation of Napoli under the management of Antonio Conte.
Capello said: “I watched Napoli’s match against AC Milan in person, and Napoli left me with a very good overall impression – they are a true team. The absence of Romelu Lukaku was very obvious; he is the kind of player who can act as a focal point upfront. The team did not launch many attacks down the right flank, which is precisely AC Milan’s relatively weak area. The return of Leonardo Spinazzola is extremely important, as on the right side, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Matteo Politano have already built a good understanding. In contrast, the team’s attacks down the left flank seemed a bit slow and lacked threat. When coordinating with Rasmus Højlund – who is used to playing long balls into the opposition’s defensive third – the team encountered some difficulties against Milan’s tight defense.”
He continued: "Kevin De Bruyne was angry when he was substituted; he thought the team needed his creativity. But I stand on Conte’s side: a coach does not make substitutions based on personal preferences. De Bruyne was practically walking on the pitch. He only played one or two threatening passes, and even those were not capitalized on. So this substitution decision was correct. If you can show energy and fighting spirit on the pitch, you will definitely stay on. His technical ability and quality are beyond doubt, but if you are just walking, the team is essentially playing with 10 men."
