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ANTONIO CONTE VOWS TOUGH LOVE AS NAPOLI PREPARE FOR INTER

Antonio Conte vows to be a "tiger tamer" to rally his Napoli squad after a 6-2 loss to PSV. They face a stern test against in-form Inter Milan in a crucial Serie A title race showdown this weekend.

Antonio Conte Vows Tough Love as Napoli Prepare for Inter
Napoli's head coach, Antonio Conte - COURTESY/PHOTO

For Saturday's Serie A matchup between Napoli and his old team, Inter Milan, Antonio Conte wants to get his players in peak form like a "tiger tamer."

The defending champion Napoli is hurting after Tuesday's 6-2 Champions League loss at PSV Eindhoven, the first time one of coach Conte's teams has given up six goals in a single game, and they are playing Inter at the worst possible time.

During the game, Conte was not his typical loud, abrasive personality and instead seemed remarkably composed on the sidelines.

Conte remarked, "I constantly strive to support my guys," "We lost 6-2, and it was definitely my responsibility for being less aggressive on the bench. Like a tiger tamer, I will bring a stool and a whip the next time.

After losing to Torino in Serie A last weekend, it was Napoli's second straight loss as the team tries to deal with an injury issue and add new players.

According to Conte, "we added nine players in the summer, and that has cost us in terms of chemistry." "The new people need to learn to fit in, be quiet and humble, and the elderly guys, like myself, need to find their spirit."

Rasmus Hojlund may return from injury against Inter, while Scott McTominay was welcomed back by Napoli against PSV. However, Amir Rrahmani, Stanislav Lobotka, and Romelu Lukaku remain out.

With 15 points, Napoli, Inter, and Roma are all tied with league leader AC Milan, one point behind them.

When the Rossoneri host Pisa on Friday, they might lead by four points before the game begins in Naples. On Sunday, Roma travels to Sassuolo.

Over the last three years, Inter and Napoli have shared the championship; in 2024, Inter split Napoli's two victories. In 2021, Conte also guided Inter to victory.

Inter has won seven in a row in all competitions. It defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 on Tuesday and defeated Roma, another title contender, last weekend.

Igor Tudor, the coach of Juventus, is under pressure to return to his old team when the Bianconeri travel to Lazio. After three months in charge, he left his position as Lazio's coach in 2024.

Juventus has not won since September 13 and is currently four points behind Milan.

Milan is strongly expected to upset Pisa, the bottom team, although their only loss this season came against Cremonese, another promoted team, on the opening day.

The only team in Serie A without a loss is Atalanta. However, it has drawn five of its seven games, which is the most in the division, and is only in eighth place. It goes to Cremonese, where four stalemates have been played out.

With five goals, Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini tops the Serie A scoring standings. The 28-year-old is hoping to extend his scoring run against struggling Fiorentina, where he has scored in each of his last four league games.

This season, Yann Sommer, the goalie for Inter, is practically invincible. Inter has only allowed one goal in its last five games in all competitions, and the 36-year-old made several excellent saves against Roma to help his club win 1-0.

Due to illness, Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano is almost guaranteed to miss the trip to his old team, Fiorentina.

Milan's injury list is on par with Napoli's. In addition to Christian Pulisic, the Rossoneri will also be missing Pervis Estupiñán, Adrien Rabiot, and Ardon Jashari. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christopher Nkunku are also not entirely recovered.

The only two players serving suspensions this weekend are Parma defender Abdoulaye Niakhate Ndiaye and Como forward Jesús Rodríguez. On Saturday, Parma will host Como.

There is increasing pressure on Serie A to revoke AC Milan's February matchup against Como in Australia after the Spanish league cancelled a match in Miami.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the fan organisation Football Supporters Europe stated that "Serie A must do the right thing in the face of rising isolation and retract its proposal." Otherwise, we implore the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has yet to decide on this proposal, to honour the opinions of supporters.

After the incidents last weekend, Pisa and Hellas Verona supporters will not be allowed to attend away games for three months. Pisa's game against Milan on Friday marks the beginning of the suspension.

TIRED OR TOUGH? THE CONFLICTING ITALIAN MEDIA REPORTS ON SCOTT MCTOMINAY’S PERFORMANCE

Scott McTominay and Napoli suffer Champions League elimination after a 3-2 home defeat to Chelsea's clinical Joao Pedro.

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Napoli and McTominay crashed out against Chelsea

Scott McTominay had a rough night as Napoli crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday. The reigning Serie A champs missed out on a play-off spot after losing at home to Chelsea.

It was a wild night in the Champions League, and Napoli ended up as one of the biggest letdowns. Even with home advantage against Liam Rosenior's team, they only managed to finish 30th overall. Chelsea, on the other hand, walked away with sixth.

McTominay, along with Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund, couldn’t stop Napoli from falling 3-2 in Naples. Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring, but Napoli hit back before halftime thanks to Antonio Vergara and Hojlund.

But after the break, Joao Pedro bagged a brace and sealed Napoli’s fate. The Italian press didn’t hold back in their reviews of McTominay’s performance.

Il Napolista gave McTominay a 6 out of 10. They liked his grit but pointed out he lost possession a few too many times in midfield. Still, they said he was a threat going forward—enough to give Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez something to worry about. But in the end, it just wasn’t enough for Conte’s side.

Il Messaggero also gave him a 6. They called his first half “average”, even though the game was played at a high level. After halftime, they thought he looked tired and didn’t live up to his usual standards.

Corriere dello Sport was a bit more generous with a 6.5. They praised his fighting spirit—classic Premier League style—and said he gave it everything he had. But as Serie A’s current MVP, expectations are high, and he just couldn’t find the goals Napoli needed.

Essere Partnopei matched that 6.5 rating. They praised his energy and said he was as active as ever, moving the ball well. Still, his efforts couldn’t keep Napoli from being knocked out.

Napoli Magazine skipped the ratings but said McTominay wasn’t at his best. He’s a key player for Conte and stayed committed, but it wasn’t enough to push Napoli into the next round.

"DON'T JUMP SHIP!" — ANTONIO CONTE’S EXPLOSIVE WARNING TO NAPOLI STARS AFTER JUVENTUS ROUT

Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund fail to fire as Juventus crush Napoli 3-0. Discover Conte’s defiant post-match reaction.

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Napoli slip to fourth as title rivals capitalise on defeat

Napoli just fell nine points behind in the Serie A title chase after Scott McTominay and the rest of the squad took a heavy 3-0 loss against Juventus.

The defending champs barely put up a fight at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. Juventus looked sharp, closing the gap with Napoli to just a single point. Right now, Gli Azzurri sit fourth with 43 points, Juventus are right behind on 42, and Inter still lead the pack with 52. If Antonio Conte’s side wants to catch up, they’ve got a lot of work to do.

McTominay played the whole match for Napoli but couldn’t change the game. Frustration was obvious for the visitors. Rasmus Hojlund, on loan from Manchester United, struggled again and didn’t make much of a difference up front. While his parent club edged out Arsenal 3-2 in London, Hojlund missed two decent chances in Turin. He hasn’t scored for Napoli since late December.

Romelu Lukaku finally got back on the pitch after his injury, but with just 12 minutes left, the result was already settled. Juventus were two goals up—Jonathan David bagged the first, Kenan Yildiz added another, and Filip Kostic finished things off near the end with a third.

Napoli are still missing another Scot, Billy Gilmour, and creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is out hurt as well. Next up, Chelsea comes to Naples on Wednesday night. Napoli really needs a win to stay in the hunt for a Champions League play-off spot.

Conte faced up to the defeat but made it clear Napoli aren’t about to give up on the Scudetto—even with all these injuries.

Conte didn’t sugarcoat things:

“As long as it was 1-0, it felt close—like we might grab a draw,” he said. “But after their second goal, things opened up, and then they scored a third. Credit to them, but also to my guys. There’s not much to say or criticise. Even here in Turin, they gave everything.

“Sometimes you get past these obstacles, sometimes you don’t. For the first time in my career, I had to bring on a player [Giovane]. I’d never even seen him in training—a kid who just joined us Saturday. That tells you something about what we’re dealing with right now.

“But we’re not quitting. We know the situation, and we’ll keep pushing. It feels like we’re out at sea in a storm, but we’re not bailing. If someone wants to jump ship, fine—they can swim to shore. The rest of us are staying on board, ready to fight with everything we’ve got, whatever comes our way.”

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