Conte: ‘Not brilliant, we spent a lot physically and mentally’

Turin, 11 December (LaPresse) – ‘We weren’t brilliant from the start, we were coming off a series of matches that took a lot of physical and mental energy. It’s no coincidence that I talked about energy in the press conference because I know that in the long run, something can go wrong.’ This was Napoli coach Antonio Conte’s assessment after the Champions League defeat against Benfica. ‘They were more aggressive, we wanted to be too, but we immediately misjudged the pressure and fear took over. In the first half, we were slow, but that’s okay. We knew the difficulties of the pitch, and it’s inevitable that we’ll pay a price when playing every three days,’ the coach explained to Sky Sport. ‘Tomorrow the lads will have a day off. They were generous until the end, even if that generosity wasn’t matched by brilliance in their choices and quality in their play. However, I have nothing to reproach them for, the team gave everything,’ he said. “We are short on rotation options and we played two days after them, so many factors came into play. The number of matches has caused fatigue to build up, which is why I’m proud of what the lads are doing. They haven’t held back.‘ On the return of the injured players: ’I hope to get Lobotka and Gutierrez back, the only ones who can return soon. I can’t take Lukaku to Udine, he still has to do a full training session with the team and I don’t know when he’ll be available,” he added.