The day before the championship for league leaders Napoliwhich hosts Lecce on Saturday for a fundamental match (the ninth of Serie A) and which scores important points to continue to lead the table (at the moment the Azzurri are +2 on Inter and +3 on Juventus) . In the press conference, however, for mister Antonio Conte there is also space for off-field themes, such as the negotiation for the renewal of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia which has been dragging on since the summer: “Does it bother me? We’ve been talking about it for a while, there’s certainly a discussion between the club and the player’s entourage and the player himself. Going into precise details… c ‘It’s the club and the sporting director, they will talk to them about the figures if necessary.”
“I don’t go into particular things – continues Conte on the topic -. I can say, what I ask of Kvicha, that he continues to do what he is doing, focused on the season, he is serious, professional, exemplary, this season is very important for us , then I hope that things can be settled by finding an agreement, but I also know that in football anything can happen and there must be an agreement that satisfies everyone, in any case I ask you to honor the shirt to the best of your ability, doing your best until the end of the match season. I don’t go any further and I don’t want the player to go any further, like the media and everyone, regardless of whether an agreement is reached or not, he must be totally concentrated as he is doing. I don’t see any problems, whoever lives will see.” .
It’s a special match for you Napoli-Lecce, the day also features Inter-Juve. What stage is this day?
“You know very well that I never go and watch the other opponents, I think about our match and it must be like this for me, for the team, for the whole environment. There must be a match that allows us to increase points which will be useful to us when there will be difficulties. We are only focused on our game to give continuity to the results knowing that difficulties will come and we will have to overcome them.”
Do you have the feeling that someone is waiting for the big match cycle to see Napoli in difficulty?
“We work every day to put ourselves in the best conditions for each match, the championship started with a defeat in Verona which was not foreseen and everything went down, then the opposite happened and we are at the top of the table. I always say to find a balance, is the basis of everything, I say this because I see certain things every day. I respect all opinions, often subjective because they do not evaluate reality, but we move forward thinking about ourselves, to grow, to improve, to shorten how much. first the path. Only those who have never won can say nonsense… I hear a lot of it around. Those who have won know what needs to be done to win again, to build solid and lasting foundations. Everyone can say what they want, often they are subjective judgements, we must be balanced and believe in the work, knowing that we will have moments even with negative results and that doesn’t mean we have to throw everything away.”
Read Antonio Conte’s full press conference here