Despite a 3–2 defeat at the Maradona, Antonio Conte praises Napoli’s spirit after Champions League elimination and launches a fierce attack on the fixture calendar.
It wasn’t enough. Not the effort, not the heart, not a huge performance, and not even a sensational Vergara. Napoli’s Champions League journey came to an end at the Maradona with a 3–2 defeat to Chelsea, a result that eliminated Antonio Conte’s side despite a night of courage, intensity, and sheer determination.
Speaking after the match, Conte made it clear that he felt pride rather than shame. “It hurts because we honored the Champions League,” he told Sky Sport. “Chelsea’s win is misleading, but we have to accept it. We need to be more clinical — they were ruthless and fast. In the Champions League you accept more duels and more space to defend, while in Italy there’s more tactics. Our goal is to play at high intensity. Parking the bus doesn’t exist anymore. With 13 players missing, we still went man-to-man and played our game.”
Conte firmly rejected any talk of “disaster.” “Disasters are something else — this is sport,” he said. “In this so-called football disaster, we won a Scudetto and a Supercoppa. Evaluations must be made considering the difficulties we faced. Tonight we played with 13 absentees and still played a true European match. We keep growing.”
One regret, however, remains clear in Conte’s mind: Copenhagen. “That’s the real regret for everyone,” he admitted to Prime Video. “You can’t be up 1–0, with a man advantage, concede a penalty and draw. If not for that match, we’d already be in the playoffs.”
Conte also delivered one of his strongest outbursts when discussing the packed calendar. “I don’t think there’s a team in the world in our situation,” he said. “We play every two and a half days. Tonight at 9 p.m., then Saturday at 6 p.m. I’d really like to know who makes these schedules. Then they talk about injuries — but they don’t give a damn.”
In his post-match press conference, Conte doubled down. “The difference was how they converted their chances compared to us. We could have done better with our decisions and quality in the final ball. But we played against the Club World Cup champions during a moment of extreme difficulty. These players will be back on the pitch again on Saturday after just two and a half days. That leaves me perplexed. Still, the boys went beyond my expectations.”
Conte reserved special praise for Vergara, the standout performer on the night. “He’s growing a lot,” the Napoli coach said. “Of course, if Anguissa or De Bruyne were available, they would have played. But in these difficulties, he’s stepping up. He must keep his feet on the ground — this is only the beginning. I’m proud of what my players have done.”
The final message was one of realism and resolve. “With 13 players missing, it’s hard to go far in the Champions League,” Conte concluded. “What we’re doing might look normal, but there’s nothing normal about it. This wasn’t the squad we started with. How many would have kept things steady in this situation? In my opinion, no one.”
Later in the evening, Conte addressed the fans directly through Napoli’s social channels: “A beautiful atmosphere tonight at the Maradona. A special thank you from me and the team — you were truly our 12th man.”
Napoli are out of Europe, but Conte’s message is clear: the fight is far from over.
