NAPLES, OCTOBER 17, 2025 – Antonio Conte met with journalists on the eve of the league match against Torino, scheduled for Saturday at 6:00 PM. "What makes the difference is not the difficulties we face, but the mentality with which we face them. In the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's match against Torino, Antonio Conte appeared clear and confident about what to do over the next 22 days, during which Napoli will face seven matches and demonstrate that they have assimilated the "Conte mindset.".
The Azzurri coach wasn't shocked by the injuries, the number of games left to play, Torino giving their all, or some players who "appear" to be less decisive than last year, and he answered journalists' questions point by point.
«"Any team that faces Napoli faces a team with the Scudetto on their shirts. Their motivation will always be at its peak, and everyone who plays against Napoli wants to do something extraordinary," Mr. Conte began. "Tomorrow will be a tough match. I know the atmosphere and have often gone to see Torino play. They have a very good team and an excellent coach.".
Regarding injuries, Conte said that the players who played for the national team are back and that now they need to be able to reorganize training for future matches: "Buongiorno is back in the group, he's recovered. Matteo too, Amires is continuing his recovery and is going well, and Lobotka has also started his recovery. Now we need to see how we respond to playing seven games in 22 days. It will require a significant expenditure of energy, we'll need rotation, and therefore everyone will be needed. We're curious to see what kind of response we'll give after this tour de force.".
When asked for his thoughts on the injury rate that worries Italian football, the manager replies that it would be nice to compile statistics at a European level to see what the percentage is.
«"The point is that the more you play, the more you risk injuries. Playing a lot means less chance of training, and not training sometimes leads to muscle injuries. Boys are human beings, and being subjected to such physical stress is difficult," says Conte. "That's why you need to build deep and broad squads. If you play a lot, you'll inevitably have to deal with issues during the season. If there's fatigue and you have to play after three days, is the player at risk? It's inevitable that there's a completely different approach.".
Then we move on to the game plan: "The formation is ultimately always a 433, which can be typical, with two wingers, or atypical, with an extra midfielder. With both the four midfielders and the two wingers, these are two certainties. These are two already defined and clear game plans, and we'll move forward with these solutions, also because the squad was structured around these foundations.".
Besides, you don't change a winning team, and even when you do, as in the case of Lobotka's substitution with Gilmour, the results on the pitch don't change.
«"Last year, Lobo had a problem, and Billy filled in admirably. He's a guy I have complete confidence in, and he always responded when called upon," Antonio Conte continued. "In terms of his characteristics, he perfectly matches Lobo's. Finding another player in this squad is difficult because everyone has different characteristics. We might have to adapt some players to play in that position, and I hope not.".
Finally, Scott McTominay's defense may appear less decisive than last year, in the eyes of some fans, but the manager explains that "it's simple, Scott's status has changed. Last year, he was the best player in the league. He arrived from Manchester and had to prove himself, and today his status has changed, meaning it's inevitable that McTominay will be seen differently today than he was last year. Today, he's a player who's seen differently by the opposition, even with different tactics.".
So, everything is ready for the match against Torino. Tomorrow at 6 pm, the tour de force will begin with the Azzurri determined to prove that it can be done.
