Antonio Conte laments the red card that changed the course of Napoli’s Champions League match against Manchester City, but sees positive signs for the team’s European progress.
Napoli lost their opening UCL game 2-0 to Manchester City Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card just 21 minutes into the match made things a little harder. Antonio Conte admitted that the red card ruined the match, saying, “We were all left with a bitter taste in our mouths, because it’s disappointing. We had prepared the match the way we played in the first 20 minutes, and this red card ruined the match.”
Conte had high hopes for the match, feeling that Napoli could hurt Manchester City with their high press. “I am very honest and I got the feeling we had started well the first 20 minutes, causing them problems with a high press. I had the sensation we could hurt them,” he added. However, the red card forced Conte to change his plan, sacrificing Kevin De Bruyne to introduce Mathias Olivera.
De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad Stadium was cut short, and Conte felt sorry for him. “Destiny can be cruel sometimes. Last season, we had just one red card in Serie A. Here we got one after 20 minutes. Taking De Bruyne off was the only thing I could’ve done at that moment. I felt sorry for him, we lost his quality in the match and took away his opportunity to play here against his old club in his former stadium, but it was the only choice.”
Despite the defeat, Conte saw positive signs for Napoli’s European progress. “I am happy with the spirit of sacrifice from my players and I leave this match with positive sensations about our European progress. Those are my feelings.”
He also praised his players for holding on for as long as they did, saying, “After what happened, the lads did well to hold on. It’s already tough, but if you are down to 10 men for 75-80 minutes including added time, it becomes impossible.”
Conte’s decision to substitute Matteo Politano was tactical, as the player was not a natural wing-back and was being forced to play out of position. “Matteo is not a wing-back, and he was being forced to play that role. He can drop down when needed to help out, but if he has to just stay in that position, then others are more suitable.”
The defeat was a setback for Napoli, but Conte remains optimistic about the team’s chances in the Champions League. “I am sorry that these are games that get ruined by red cards, because you can never know how things would’ve gone and how the teams measure up really against each other.”
As Napoli looks to move forward, Conte will be focusing on building on the positive signs from the match.
