Conte: ‘Scudetto race a good pressure to have for Napoli’ | OneFootball

Antonio Conte feels the Scudetto race with Inter is ‘a good pressure to have’ for Napoli. ‘The fans sense the team is going beyond its limitations and that can only be appreciated.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Monday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

The pressure is back on the Partenopei to stay in the Scudetto race after Inter swept past Cagliari 3-1 on Saturday, as last week both teams were held to draws, keeping the gap at the top intact.

Empoli are battling for every single point that could be crucial to drag them out of the relegation zone, but are without a Serie A victory in 2025.

“There are dangers in every game, as from now to the end of the campaign, every team has an objective it needs to achieve, whether it’s fighting for safety, a place in Europe or the Scudetto,” said Conte in his press conference.

The coach has been adamant since the start of the season that Napoli did not expect to be in this position, so he joked when asked if he believes they can win the last seven matches.

“I had started out thinking we could win all 38,” laughed Conte. “However, that cannot happen, even just going unbeaten for a whole season is something that is extraordinarily rare. There are setbacks, draws and defeats, this is natural.

“We’ve been fairly consistent this season, there were spells where we had a run of consecutive victories, but the fact is that we are up there, which means our journey has been a very good one. Empoli will come here with knives drawn, so it is a very difficult fixture, as every point can be the difference between safety and relegation at this stage.

“It is always tougher in the second half of the season, because there is more strategic thinking, the games are less open. We’ve all studied each other carefully at this point.”

Napoli should enjoy Scudetto pressure, insists Conte

epa12016577 Napoli’s Frank Anguissa (L) celebrates with his teammate Scott McTominay after scoring the 0-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Bologna FC and SSC Napoli, in Bologna, Italy, 07 April 2025. EPA-EFE/SERENA CAMPANINI

Conte reiterated that the pressure must all be on Inter, who are still in the running for the Treble of the Serie A title, Champions League and Coppa Italia, rather than Napoli.

“We are the direct antagonists of Inter and will try to do something extraordinary, to put that pressure on them. It means we are doing remarkably well, in a situation where we are asked to go beyond our capabilities to keep up with a team that proved it is built to win everything in Europe too.

“It’s a good pressure to have, there is enthusiasm among the fans, the dream of competing for the Scudetto is firing them up. We earned this pressure, this battle of nerves, and we must also enjoy fighting for something important.

“The fans can sense that the team is going beyond its limitations and that can only be appreciated.”

epa11898868 Napoli’s head coach Antonio Conte during the Serie A soccer match between SS Lazio and SSC Napoli at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 15 February 2025. EPA-EFE/Riccardo Antimiani

Napoli have shown a tendency to struggle in the second half of their recent matches, with Conte’s assistant manager Cristian Stellini suggesting this was a mentality problem rather than a physical one.

“If the second half was a problem, then we’d have zero points against Juventus, Inter and Atalanta,” replied Conte in today’s press conference.

“Matches last for 90 minutes plus added time. It is inevitable that at times we can control leads a bit better, either because we dominate and the opponents want to respond, or that we think we can defend an advantage and without meaning to we start to sit deeper. That is true of all teams, not just us.

“We must let the lads understand we continue Plan A, even if we are leading 1-0 or 2-0, the pressure and possession should not change. Admittedly, that’s easier to say than to do, but it’s part of the growth process.”

Alessandro Buongiorno is still out of action, with Conte confirming the defender is expected to be on the treatment table for “one or two weeks,” but Leonardo Spinazzola returns.

The important news is that Scott McTominay has shaken off the knock he sustained in the 1-1 draw with Bologna.

“McTominay is fine, we hope he can get back to scoring goals, as he had so many chances in recent matches. We need his goals too,” concluded Conte.