In the 4th round match of the UEFA Champions League, Napoli drew 0-0 with Eintracht Frankfurt at home. After the game, Napoli head coach Antonio Conte gave an interview.
What is your assessment of tonight's game?
We can say a lot, but you can’t win if you don’t score. Even if you play well, the score is still 0-0. They have learned Italian-style defense well. If we had played such a game in Germany, people would say it’s outdated football… We are trying to bring more European-style football. It’s a pity we didn’t score, but I have no criticism of the players’ effort and dedication.
Napoli had many players absent tonight, such as De Bruyne.
We won’t talk about players who didn’t play today; otherwise, we would also have to mention Lukaku. The players performed well and have already adapted to the impact of De Bruyne’s absence. We didn’t have many players in midfield originally, but we have found a solution now. We can talk about ambition many times, but in fact, it still needs to be proven with practical actions.
Do you think the players’ performance met expectations?
I think the players have done their utmost. I saw some important chances— in this kind of game, if you can score, everything will change. I see our performance gradually improving, and I also see many good opportunities. I have no complaints about the players’ fighting spirit; we are doing our utmost, but I don’t know if we will finally succeed…
