Conte: I Take Responsibility for the Defeat in Como
Napoli coach Antonio Conte said his team lacked desire in the second half during their shocking 2-1 defeat against newly promoted Como in Serie A on Sunday, squandering a chance to return to the top of the table. However, he refused to blame his players.
Napoli’s first league defeat in 11 matches cost them the opportunity to reclaim the top spot, leaving them in second place with 56 points from 26 games, just one point behind defending champions Inter. Como, meanwhile, sits in 13th place.
Despite recovering in the first half after defender Amir Rrahmani’s own goal in the seventh minute, Napoli struggled after the break, with Assan Diao scoring the winner for the hosts in the 77th minute.
“I’m not satisfied with the second half, which wouldn’t satisfy anyone… I regret the loss due to a lack of desire, but we must all try to understand why,” Conte told reporters. “Congratulations to Como for what they are achieving. We found ourselves under pressure because of our own shortcomings, and now we must figure out whether we are capable of handling that.”
The former Juventus and Italy coach added, “We need to pick ourselves up and move past this setback. Losing for tactical reasons is acceptable, but not due to a lack of desire and intensity. I am the first to take responsibility because I failed to instill this feeling in my players.”
Napoli entered the match after three consecutive league draws, and Conte admitted that his team was putting pressure on itself as Inter continued to push forward.
Napoli, who won the Serie A title in the 2022-2023 season, finished 10th last season.
Conte said his team displayed two different faces and insisted he was not making excuses.
“I’m sorry, but the players had nothing to do with it. I was the one who failed to notice the drop in focus and desire. Still, we are putting pressure on ourselves. We must maintain what we have achieved and give our best. This loss hurts because defeat is unacceptable,” he said.
Napoli will host Inter, who won 1-0 against Genoa on Saturday, in a crucial top-of-the-table clash at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium next Saturday.
