Napoli beat Monza 1-0 in the 33rd round of Serie A. Antonio Conte's team is second in the standings with 74 points, the same number as Inter with a game in hand.
Conte is still not satisfied, Napoli played poorly against the "lanterns" in Monza.
"I have a responsibility and you, the media, are the first to put it on me, saying that if Conte is on the bench, the team must win. Since you attributed it to me, I don't want to let the fans down. I can't rely on miracles instead of a plan. I respect and appreciate the president of Napoli (Aurelio de Laurentis). I was asked to lend a helping hand - and I do. But the Napoli fans want to win, they have high standards. If they don't win, they get angry," explained Conte and added:
"I have to weigh everything up and I'm not a fool. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I need the right weapons to fight. Otherwise it's a massacre, and I don't want to be cut down. I'll sit down at the negotiating table with the president, and then we'll see. There will be income from qualifying for the Champions League, the transfer of Kvaratshelija also helped us, but now we need to talk honestly with the president. I gave my all, with interest. Now we want to win together with the guys who work hard," stressed Conte, who defended his much-needed reinforcements.
Conte is a coach used to winning, in the season called the "world coaching championship" he was champion with Chelsea, in his debut season in the Premier League.
"I have a good relationship with De Laurentiis, but I also need respect. I have to protect myself, otherwise this will all be just a beautiful but finished journey. I work here for the Napoli fans and for myself. I will not make a fool of myself and let them beat me. We have to keep believing – and a little luck wouldn't hurt either. Unfortunately, luck hasn't been on our side since January. But we believe in ourselves. The players are excellent in difficult situations and we build strong foundations through these challenges. It is very touching to see all these fans supporting us. But it also puts a lot of responsibility on me," said the Napoli head coach.
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