Antonio Conte Reveals Message To Napoli Squad After 1-1 Serie A Draw Vs Inter Milan: ‘For The First Time, I Said It’ | OneFootball

Antonio Conte says that he finally gave his Serie A title message to the Napoli squad after their 1-1 draw with Inter Milan in March.

The coach spoke to Italian outlet Sette, via FCInterNews. He recalled how that was the match where he was convinced that his team could dream of the title.

Napoli beat Inter Milan to the Serie A title in the season just gone. They did so on the final day of the season, by just a point.

It was a campaign in which the Partenopei had the advantage in the title race for the majority of the time.

However, it was also a season that saw Inter push Napoli all the way. They had chances to overtake the Partenopei right until the end, but failed to take advantage of them.

Antonio Conte Reveals Serie A Title Message To Napoli After 1-1 Draw Vs Inter

BERGAMO, ITALY – JANUARY 18: SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte looks on before the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and SSC Napoli at Gewiss Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Napoli were able to establish a lead for themselves in the table relatively early on in the season.

However, there was always a sense that this advantage was relatively precarious. Even with Inter’s regular slip-ups in the league.

Wins over teams like AC Milan, Roma, Atalanta, and Juventus certainly gave Napoli more credibility in the title race.

However, it was the head-to-head matches against Inter that really set the tone in the title race.

In November, Inter hosted Napoli at the San Siro. The Nerazzurri were perhaps the better side then and unlucky to draw 1-1.

But in Naples in March it was a much different story. Inter took the lead in the first half, but Napoli were absolutely dominant in the second half, and deservedly snatched a point late on.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte recalled “the one against Inter” as the match that really made him believe the title was possible.

“When we cam behind. And even looked like we could’ve won it.”

“I said it publicly for the first time after that,” said Conte. “If we want it, we can do it.”

“That was a message for my players,” the Napoli coach continued. “I believed in it, and so they had to do so as well.”

“Then in football there’s always room for the unlikely. The draw against Genoa seriously risked compromising our Scudetto chase.”