Speaking at a press conference two days before the match against Roma, mister Antonio Conte he spoke thus of his friendship with Claudio Ranieri, his next opponent: “The match against Roma is a football match, we’re not risking our lives (laughs, ed.), it’s a sporting risk. Who can come away less happy… I am certainly pleased to meet Claudio, there is great respect for him, even friendship. I am happy for him, I thought he would return for a national team, but my heart’s window for Roma and Cagliari was always open and I am. happy for him, for the his family, they live in Rome. It will be a tough match, let’s not forget that Roma finished ahead of us last year, they are in the Europa League, they had an excellent transfer market, but they are not performing according to expectations and I hope that everything starts to work after Napoli.”
What do you expect from Roma after the change on the bench and what from Napoli?
“When you change coach there is an important input, they are on their third change, it’s inevitable… If Juric had stayed we would have known a little from the point of view of the game and the system and now it’s all a bit of a question mark , we don’t have great news. We don’t know how they will want to face us and so we think about ourselves, there is desire and enthusiasm to continue this journey knowing that it will be a difficult match against an excellent team that has had some difficulties.”
Is there friendship, is it possible there was no contact with Ranieri?
“I made a phone call to Claudio, to welcome him back, but it was the minimum. There is also friendship between the wives, he is a really nice guy, from other times, you can’t help but love him. I wish him all the best good but except in the two matches with us.”
Read all Conte’s words at the press conference here!