Antonio Conte expresses his reservations about Napoli's departure from the Champions League, acknowledging that it would have been ‘truly impossible’ for the team to continue competing amidst their ongoing injury crisis.
On January 25, 2026, in Turin, Italy, Conte, the head coach of SSC Napoli, observed his team prior to their Serie A match against Juventus FC at the Juventus Stadium. The team’s latest setback—a 3-2 loss to Chelsea—resulted in their elimination from the prestigious tournament just hours earlier, leaving them with only Serie A and the Coppa Italia to focus on moving forward.
Tonight, Napoli is set to play Fiorentina at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, kicking off at 17:00 GMT (18:00 CET). Fans can stay updated with all the developments and highlights from today's Serie A matches via the Liveblog.
Reflecting on the recent exit, Conte acknowledged the mixed emotions surrounding the situation. "I attempted to analyze the game with the players, and I believe we performed positively," he conveyed during an interview with DAZN Italia. He added, "We generated numerous opportunities, yet we didn’t receive adequate rewards for our efforts, so there’s a sense of regret about being eliminated from this competition. However, we should also draw confidence from the fact that we are making progress at a European level, which can lead to significant achievements in the future."
Conte emphasized that every journey requires a bit of fortune, noting that the team is still grappling with a substantial number of injuries. Currently, key players such as Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, David Neres, Matteo Politano, Amir Rrahmani, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, and Billy Gilmour are sidelined.
In terms of player movements, Luca Marianucci has officially completed his loan transfer to Torino today, but questions remain regarding when Romelu Lukaku will be fit to return to action for Napoli. Conte commented on Lukaku's situation, stating, "He has played only 19 minutes across two matches. Romelu suffered a serious injury and is working hard to recover, but we must exercise patience. We will look to arrange some midweek friendly matches to help him regain match fitness. This has been challenging due to our limited training sessions and the demanding schedule of games every three days. Lukaku is a crucial presence both on the field and in the locker room, and we sincerely hope he and other injured players can return to full fitness soon.
Conte concluded, "It’s actually fortunate that the number of matches has decreased now; otherwise, it would have been impossible to carry on under these circumstances."
As the conversation surrounding Napoli continues, how do you feel about Conte's outlook on the team’s future? Do you agree that luck plays a significant role in sports success? Share your thoughts in the comments!
