SHOCK: ANTONIO CONTE DENIES NAPOLI DOMINANCE! DISCOVER THE BRUTAL TRUTH AFTER SUPERCOPPA VICTORY TODAY
Antonio Conte claims Napoli aren't ready to lead Italian football despite a 2-0 Supercoppa win. Discover why here
Antonio Conte is saying Napoli isn't quite ready to rule Italian soccer, even after their Scudetto and Supercoppa wins. It was a perfect competition, he said.
This is Napoli's third Supercoppa. They won in 1990-91 and 2014-15, but the first win was also a Scudetto year.
They beat AC Milan 2-0 in the semi-final in Riyadh and then did the same to Bologna in the final. David Neres was the star, scoring both goals.
Conte's got mixed feelings—praise for Napoli, but staying grounded.
"The guys deserve a pat on the back for a perfect competition against both Milan and Bologna," Conte told Sport Mediaset.
They really wanted this trophy for the fans. Christmas will be great with a new trophy. We're coming off a Scudetto and a Supercoppa Italiana, beating tough teams like Inter, Milan, and Bologna.
This is only Conte’s second Supercoppa Italiana, after winning at Juventus in 2013-14, and his second trophy at Napoli.
Conte mentioned yesterday that people only remember the winners. Is he making a truly unforgettable team?
Winners go down in history. Napoli lost the Supercoppa Final two years ago to Inter, but nobody recalls that. We had an amazing run to win the Scudetto, and we beat a great team like Milan in the semi-final, so it had been a great run, but winning is all that matters in football.
Nobody cares about the losers. "I've lost many as a player and coach," Conte continued.
Those losses made me more determined. Nobody remembers I was a runner-up in the World Cup or European Championship, or that I lost three Champions League Finals. They remember I won one Champions League and one Intercontinental Cup.
Losing a final fires you up. You don't want to feel that pain again. You know the run was good, but you needed that cherry on top.
This was Bologna's first Supercoppa Italiana because they won the Coppa Italia last season, their first trophy in 51 years.
I want to give Bologna kudos because they're a big deal in Italian football now. They won the Coppa Italia, knocked out Inter in the semi-final, and were super competitive tonight. Vincenzo Italiano, the players, and the club deserve credit for what they're doing.
Considering Napoli has won two of the last three Serie A titles and now the Supercoppa, are they the top dogs in Italian football, ahead of Inter and Milan?
“No, I can’t say that,” Conte stated. I’d be lying if I did. We won the title last season with a small squad. We brought in a lot of new players this summer, so we still aren't ready to be on top.
If you look at the Serie A table, we have to stay close to the Champions League spots. This year will be tough, and calling the top four will be hard.
We need to be humble and work hard to climb the ranks. I can't say we're ready to lead because we are not there yet.
Napoli started the same lineup that beat AC Milan in the semi-final. They didn't have many choices because Kevin De Bruyne, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour, and Alex Meret are out long-term.
Conte, Neres made those goals, and you won thanks to one guy's performance, not the team.
If you look at how many scoring chances we made, we could've scored more. "The team played great overall," Conte replied.
The first goal was some individual magic, but we made the other chances by working out how to cause Bologna problems. Our job as coaches is to help players learn and get better. I think everyone I've worked with has improved in tactics, movement, and mentality.
You need talent, but you also need a team that helps them let it shine.
Rasmus Hojlund worked hard and moved well, which is different from what people saw when he was at Manchester United.
People said Rasmus didn't play in Manchester, and neither did McTominay. Why? Think about that. The staff and I had a job to do. "There's a reason we're here," Conte said.
WEST HAM MOVE FAST FOR AS ROMA'S ARTEM DOVBYK AS NICLAS FULLKRUG JOINS AC MILAN
West Ham United are offered the chance to sign Artem Dovbyk for 22 million as Niclas Fullkrug nears an AC Milan move.
Word on the street, via Gazzetta dello Sport and Sport Witness, is that AS Roma will let Artem Dovbyk go if an offer of at least €22 million comes their way. West Ham United has got their eye on this Ukrainian striker as we head into January, especially since Niclas Fullkrug might be leaving the London Stadium.
It looks like West Ham United could be in the middle of a striker shuffle because they want to bring in a new guy up front in January. Nuno Espirito Santo seems to rate getting a new striker more than filling other spots, mainly because the team's stars haven't been scoring enough this season.
There's talk about Niclas Füllkrug moving to AC Milan. The Hammers seem ready to say goodbye to the pricey German player. Things just haven't clicked with him in their setup, so they're thinking about bringing in someone new. There have been plenty of names floating around for weeks.
Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves is also on their radar, but it seems like Artem Dovbyk from AS Roma is becoming a hotter prospect as January approaches. Word is, the Hammers were offered the Ukrainian striker because AS Roma may want to sell him in the winter.
The Italian side could sure use the cash from selling the 28-year-old striker in January so they can put that money into getting new players. West Ham isn't the only team interested; Everton is reportedly in the mix for Dovbyk, too.
So, what's the price tag on Artem Dovbyk?
Dovbyk joined Roma in the summer of 2024 after a great season with Girona in Spain and had a pretty good first year with the Italian giants. Now his role has shrunk, and Roma is willing to end his stay early, asking for €22 million plus add-ons to sell him in January.
West Ham definitely has the cash to pay that much for the 28-year-old Serie A striker. They might take a look at the market before they decide. This Ukrainian player could be a good addition to the team, especially if he gets back to scoring goals at the London Stadium under Espirito Santo and ends up being a better option than Fullkrug.
JUST IN: FABIO CAPELLO OFFICIALLY LABELS SERIE A A FIVE-HORSE RACE FOR 2026
Fabio Capello claims the 2026 Scudetto is wide open with only 4 points separating Inter, Milan, Napoli, Roma, and Juve.
Fabio Capello thinks the Serie A title is wide open, with Juventus, Inter, Milan, Napoli, and Roma all in the running. He also thinks they all need to get better to win the Scudetto in 2026.
The ex-coach for Milan, Roma, Juventus, and England shared his thoughts on each team's chances in an interview.
With Christmas coming, the top of the Serie A table is tight, with only four points separating the top five. Inter's got 33 points, Milan 32, Napoli 31, Roma 30, and Juventus 29—pretty exciting for fans!
Capello said he doesn't see anyone pulling away right now.
When asked if this five-way race could last, Capello said, Why not? No one's running away with it. They all win some, lose some. Milan and Roma were ahead, but now Inter and Napoli are back, and Juve is making a comeback.
So, does he think Juventus can win?
They're not out of it. They could win their next few games and get 12 points, he said.
About Spalletti, Capello noted, He’s found the players that fit. He’s brought back the hunger and push that was missing. And Juve is one of the few Italian teams that can take players on and make the other team scramble. Guys like Yildiz, Conceicao, and Zhegrova often cause problems for opponents.”
Does he think Juventus is a real title contender?
“Juve is right there; they could close the gap, and they still have head-to-head matches to play,” he said.
Talking about Inter, Capello said, Chivu's been playing it safe so far. I think he's seeing that some players aren't in top shape, so he's holding back on trying new things. But they're in first place.
And about Milan, he added, Milan is losing points and letting in goals; that's not like Allegri. They need to be solid on defence. Mistakes have cost them too many points. They play very offensively, but they have problems in the back.
Milan is supposedly trying to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham to strengthen their attack. Does Capello think that's a good move in January?
That's a good question. It’s hard to play without a main striker. Fullkrug is an old-school striker, so the club must have talked about who would fit best. But it's not just about strikers; they're not playing in Europe and need to use that to their advantage.”
Capello agrees with many fans that Roma needs more attack to be considered a serious title contender: Without a main striker, Gasperini has also had lots of issues, he said.
It's tough. Against Juventus, there was no one up front to aim for. Roma played better in the first half, but they kept trying to attack through the middle when Juve had just put Bremer back in.
About the attackers Roma might sign this winter, Capello said, I really like Zirkzee; he knows how to play with his back to the goal and moves well. Raspadori, on the other hand, is more of a second striker. He fits in okay; he knows how to score, but he's not a main striker.
Lastly, on Napoli, fresh from their Supercoppa Italiana win in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Capello said, Napoli has great players and a winning coach in Conte.
“Now Lukaku and some of the injured guys are back, and winning the Supercoppa will be huge for the team's confidence. It’s a mental boost that could help them come back strong in the league.”