Champions League: Napoli coach blames the devil after loss to Man City
Naples coach Antonio Conte described his team’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Thursday night as the work of the devil.
Antonio Conte @Goal.com
Antonio Conte didn’t mince his words after a heavy night for Naples on Thursday at the Etihad Stadium. Beaten 2-0 by Manchester City, the Neapolitans were quickly reduced to ten men after Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off as early as the 21st minute for a foul on Erling Haaland.
The Citizens took advantage of their numerical superiority to make the difference thanks to goals from Haaland and Jérémy Doku. A scenario the Italian coach called « the work of the devil », lamenting a match « ruined » by that early turning point.
« We had started the match perfectly, as we had prepared it, but the sending off changed everything, Conte lamented in a press conference. In those conditions, City would have had a much harder time against us. »
The former coach of Chelsea and Inter Milan did not hide his bitterness : « Sometimes fate plays tricks on us. Last season, we were never sent off, and today it happens to us in the Champions League. »
Conte finally had a word for the Neapolitan supporters : « I’m sorry, because these are matches where a red card ruins everything. You can’t implement the game plan as planned. »