Suffering, losingyet another player (and what a player, the tough Di Lorenzo collapsed on his left knee) but shining with an intense light with the left-footed prowess of Vergara and Gutierrez.
Napoli thus emerged from the corner in this ring where he had cashed in four days the heavy blows of the defeats against Juve and Chelsea. It was the day of redemption. With the victory over Fiorentina, a new chapter has opened because this week – without a midweek match – Conte will be able to recover energy and perhaps some players: it won’t seem real to him that he can let the team breathe, the next match is in six days against Genoa at Marassi. Napoli with a big heart and, after Vergara’s goal (the second in four days against Maradona), almost free from pressure. Antonio’s left-footed effort launched by Meret was fantastic, with Hojlund freeing up the space for the new idol of Naples. Play and it gets better and betterfighting like a lion and hitting with his perfect touches. There was only one moment of confusion, when Di Lorenzo, the captain, the leader, the technical and spiritual guide of this group, was injured. He twisted his knee, a cry of pain, his hands on his face. Once again it was Conte who gave the diagnosis. One word, dry and terrible: crusader. That is, season over. That is, the World Cup is highly at risk in the event of qualification.
Napoli-Fiorentina 2-1, the fans’ comments: «Great match, but Di Lorenzo is a huge loss»
This injury stressed a lunge from Conte at the system. “Too many matches cause serious injuries: this is how football is killed, clubs should understand this.” These are words that will perhaps make him unpleasant in the eyes of someone, of the Italian football institutions and of the Assocalciatori, called into question. But what such a titled and respected coach says must absolutely be taken into consideration, without getting upset. It’s not the usual complaint. Conte made a detailed accusation after the injury of “a big man”. After a victory and not a defeat. And he recalled that Napoli, with 240 million in cash, also has stakes on the market. Angry and clear-headed, he highlighted issues that must be forcefully supported by De Laurentiis in institutional settings. In recent weeks Napoli have lost points (and Champions League qualification) due to their mistakes but also because they were short of breath due to injuries, caused by the compressed calendar. Di Lorenzo played 32 games out of 33 also because he is the captain, a very starter, but also because there were no alternatives.
The first team involved in the last round of the Champions League Napoli took to the field yesterday. Today Atalanta, Inter and Juve will play. Has De Laurentiis’ club asked the League the reason for this programming? And then refereeing, another difficult topic for Conte to digest. Even yesterday there was an error of judgment on the part of La Penna, when he did not take measures against the Viola Parisi for that blow with his arm on Vergara’s nose, which also happened under the eyes of the fourth official. After a few minutes, Antonio had to leave the Maradona stage because his head was spinning. «I had taken a blow to the face».
Napoli-Fiorentina 2-1, Vanoli: «We deserved the draw for what we produced»
Conte paid a high price for this victory, never in question, with a few minutes of suffering during the match. But he has two certainties. The first: he leads a group of real men who thrive in difficulties, accustomed to living with the accident emergency. The second: the indictment of the football system – also mention Fifa and UEFA – can put him at the head of a “movement” for the change of this system, in which the clubs agree to play more for economic reasons but the clubs themselves are not allowed to expand the squads. Tomorrow at the Coverciano technical center there will be the delivery of the “Golden Bench” and it is likely that it will be awarded for the fifth time to Conte, winner of the Scudetto and Super Cup. It will be the opportunity for a clear comparison between Antonio and those leaders of the system called into question while at Maradona the chants of the fans could still be heard, proud of a team and a coach who will never give up. Other than former Italian champions, as Spalletti unhappily said.
