Antonio Conte makes belittling Napoli claim despite latest Serie A victory

Napoli person enjoyed a accelerated commencement to the play nether caller manager Antonio Conte, with the erstwhile Chelsea and Tottenham brag starring them to the acme of Serie A

Napoli manager Antonio Conte claimed his Napoli squad doesn't merit apical spot successful Serie A contempt their accelerated commencement to the play continuing connected Friday.

Former Italy manager Conte took implicit astatine Stadio Diego Armando Maradona implicit the summer, marking a instrumentality to absorption much than a twelvemonth aft leaving Tottenham. Napoli had struggled to a 10th spot decorativeness past season, having won the Scudetto the erstwhile year.

The nonaccomplishment of Victor Osimhen, apical scorer for the nine successful each of the past 3 seasons, prompted debased expectations from some. However, a instrumentality of 16 points from the archetypal 7 games leaves Conte's broadside apical of the table. Como were the latest broadside to autumn astatine the hands of the league leaders, who ran retired 3-1 victors connected Friday. Not that Conte was consenting to get carried distant with the result.

"I don't cognize if this is presently a Napoli that deserves to beryllium successful archetypal spot successful the standings, but we are archetypal and that is simply a fact," Conte told DAZN (via ESPN). "If idiosyncratic had told maine this 3 months ago, it would person been hard to believe. We're increasing successful presumption of temperament, and successful our quality to adapt-playing bully football, but besides consenting to get our hands soiled erstwhile we request to. That's a large sign, and we person to clasp it fully."

Three of Conte's summertime signings were connected people connected Friday. Scott McTominay opened the scoring successful the archetypal minute, lone for Gabriel Strefezza to equalise for Como, but a Romelu Lukaku punishment and a precocious 3rd from David Neres helped seal victory. Napoli person nary European distractions this season, portion Conte's proposition that they tin inactive amended whitethorn interest rivals. The manager has won Serie A 4 times already arsenic a manager - 3 with Juventus and 1 with Inter Milan - and besides led Chelsea to Premier League glory successful 2017.

Will Napoli triumph Serie A this season? Have your accidental successful the comments section

The 55-year-old besides pointed to the interaction of the assemblage successful carrying his squad forward. "Playing successful Naples, astatine the Maradona, with a afloat stadium means that the players tin truly consciousness the crowd's emotions," helium said. "If you marque mistakes, you tin consciousness the disappointment, and that tin spot distant astatine your confidence."

Napoli's adjacent crippled comes against astonishment bundle Empoli aft the planetary break, followed by a gathering with Conte's hometown nine Lecce. After that comes a gathering with 1 of the league's accepted large hitters, with the existent leaders disconnected to the San Siro to instrumentality connected AC Milan.

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