Antonio Conte after Napoli’s loss to Como: “We played Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” | OneFootball

Serie A giants Napoli picked up a 2-1 loss at Como and fell to second in the table, sparking a reaction from manager Antonio Conte.

An Amir Rrahamani own goal had seen the Partenopei go down early in the game. This was followed by a Giacomo Raspadori equaliser in the 17th minute. But Assane Diao scored in the 77th minute and the goal proved to be the winner for Cesc Fabregas’ side, who continue to impress in the second half of the season.

Conte spoke to the press after the loss, which saw Napoli drop to second in the table. He described it as a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde performance from the Partenopei.

He said, via CalcioNapoli24: “I’m not looking for excuses, but we played Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde. We had two faces. It’s happened before. We’re a team that has to earn our living, I’ve said every time that victory has to be earned because if we slow down a little mentally, anything can happen.

“It’s a shame, the lads have nothing to do with it. I was the one who didn’t notice a slowdown in terms of attention and nastiness. We work every day and try to do our best. We have pressure on us today but it’s our own merit, there’s no way we’re where we are today. Compared to Inter, we’re at – 1 but we’ve recovered 40 points from last year, and many on the others.”

Speaking further, he praised the team as well: “We’re doing something extraordinary, but at certain point we have to maintain it. It’s not a given that we can hold out until the end, but we have to give our all and you know what has to burn us, Defeat must not be tolerated, the environment knows it and those who are with me know that I hate losing, we have to stay on top of things and the lads have done something extraordinary.

“Then the more you are at the top, the more you have to be prepared, even mentally: we have to continue to grow, the boys are doing something extraordinary. We have to seek excellence: it’s hard work, and it also comes from situations like these. But the nastiness we have to show must not be the one seen recently, when we let ourselves be overtaken.”

The side’s form has dropped off significantly in the last few weeks and they have failed to win any of their last four games in the league. Inter’s win over Genoa yesterday has taken them to the top.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN