In the first round of the UEFA Champions League group stage, Napoli received a red card as early as the 21st minute of the first half and eventually lost 0-2 away to Manchester City. After the game, Antonio Conte was interviewed by reporters from camel.live.
Did you feel bitter?
“All of us feel bitter. Unfortunately, our performance in the first 20 minutes of the game went according to plan, but the red card changed everything. I don’t want to comment on whether the red card was justified, but in those 20 minutes, I saw the team’s excellent attitude, and at that time, I thought Manchester City would face difficulties against us. It’s already hard enough to get a positive result here, and it’s even more impossible when you have to play with one man down,” Conte said.
Substituting De Bruyne?
“Sometimes fate can be cruel. We didn’t receive a single red card last season, but today we got one in the Champions League. The only thing I can do is feel sorry for De Bruyne—we deprived him of the chance to play the full game, or even most of it, at his former home ground.”
Did you originally expect the team to do better in the final stages of the game?
“In the first 20 minutes, I felt we had prepared for the game in the right way, and our high press put pressure on the opponent. Unfortunately, a red card in this kind of game ruins everything, and you can’t make an accurate assessment. Facing a team like Manchester City is hard enough, let alone playing 10 against 11. After that, fatigue started to show. I made three substitutions in the 70th minute, and the players had already given a lot. In the second half, in the final stages, Politano had to play as a wing-back, but he’s not a player for that position. We knew this game would be tough, but I’m satisfied with the players’ efforts, and I will leave with a positive feeling.”
Did you tell the players to try to score during half-time?
“Ultimately, a team must focus on defense. When we pressed after the opponent’s throw-in, they scored. We played a positive game, but when you’re down to 10 men, you have to defend and then hope for some chances. We didn’t want to do that, but we had to today—when we tried to press high, the opponent scored. We need to understand the game situation better. I’m satisfied with the players; I saw some positive things, especially their attitude and desire when they came here. The final 10 minutes of the game against Fiorentina made me angrier. In games like this, if you can’t stay calm, you might suffer a heavy defeat—and that will stay in your mind.”
