Three matches, three wins. The break for the national teams has not changed the rhythm of Napoli, which continues with convincing results and leads the standings in Serie A. The 3-1 victory over Fiorentina at the “Artemio Franchi” stadium managed to make Antonio Conte smile - a coach known for his constant demands for maximum concentration.
„We want to continue growing, raising the bar higher and higher. We are at the beginning, we included a lot of new players because we had to fill the squad. It is logical that the base from last season should maintain its mentality, and the new ones should adapt. We need everyone - for the present and future of Napoli. "I'm glad that the debuts were successful," Conte said after the match. Kevin De Bruyne showed his class again with the "azure" team, after shining with the national team. Against Fiorentina, the Belgian seemed even more confident in the collective game, and also scored a goal from the penalty spot. "We tried to find the right position for him. A good coach must put the best in the conditions in which they can develop their qualities. Last season, McTominay, Lobotka and Angisa were fundamental. When Kevin arrived, it could be assumed that someone would be left out of the squad. But the role we assigned him is perfect for him - he likes to play with the ball, and in this way we give him freedom of movement, without leaving the opponents with a clear direction," explained Conte.
Napoli also impressed with their aggressive high pressing, which seriously hampered Fiorentina. “Last season we kept the line high, although it wasn't so obvious at the time. Of course there are risks because we leave 50 metres of space behind the defence, but that prevents the opponents from developing their game. That's why I constantly press them – both on the pitch and during the video analysis“, stressed Conte. At the end of the interview, the coach had to give one definition for some of his players: “Hoylund is young and promising. De Bruyne is a genius – we are working on a new role for him because he sees things that others don't see. In the Champions League we will be like students learning from the masters, but we hope to surpass them. We have to stay focused until the end“.
However, Conte did not fail to criticize: “If I have to find something I didn't like, it was the finale of the match. I am like an older brother or a father to the players – they know what the positives are and what they need to work on if we want to continue to cause problems for our opponents.“
However, there is time to talk about the Scudetto.