Video: Conte on Napoli work, missing football and ‘egotistical’ players

Antonio Conte admits he ‘missed football in general’ before Napoli, has not changed his ‘work’ ethic since Chelsea and does not get along with ‘egotistical’ players.

The coach took time out after his experience with Tottenham Hotspur ended abruptly in March 2023 and returned to the game at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this summer.

“I missed football in general, but every now and then we need to take a break, especially those of us who live the sport so intensely and with such passion,” said Conte on the Lega Serie A YouTube channel.

“I have a lot of energy now and am very fired up, I missed football in general. I saw Napoli as an important opportunity for me to experience a marvellous city that lives football, goes to bed with football in mind and wakes up with football in mind.

“It is certainly a very difficult challenge, that is without doubt, but I feel that I am mature enough to face this, because it takes strength, hunger and enthusiasm. Napoli is a very demanding club.”

In the past, Conte was able to bring success to sides who hadn’t experienced it in a while, from Juventus to Inter. Can he do the same for Napoli?

“I sincerely hope so, my history says as much, I generally arrived in situations where the car was not ready to start on the front row of the grid. I had to climb up from the fourth or fifth row to upset the odds.”

What really has not changed for Conte is his approach to the sport and players, which he admits surprised some at Chelsea.

“The crucial thing is a focus on ‘us’, we need to get rid of ‘I’ and egotism. You get nowhere with individuals, the team lets you win or lose. Obviously, a team with talented players has to get the best out of them, but the good of the team always comes first.

“You have to eliminate the type of player that works with the I, because I do not get along with them,” continued the coach.

“Hard work is a motto I brought with me forever. I remember the English journalists at my first press conference with Chelsea counted the number of times I said ‘work’ and they were surprised. I have not changed, we must work and the only way I know to achieve success is through hard work.”