- Ademola Lookman led Atalanta to battle against Napoli and came out victorious with a 3-0 scoreline
- Romelu Lukaku, who replaced Victor Osimhen, was underwhelming throughout his time on the pitch
- Antonio Conte, in defence of his team, aimed a dig at the team from last season for the club’s current mess
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Antonio Conte is out of control when his team loses, much so that he could dig into the club’s past and find someone to aim at to deflect the attention from his team.
This is a trend that he has been known for and has exhibited during his time at Chelsea despite his success, and at Tottenham Hotspur, where he was least successful.
His Napoli team were taught a lesson by Ademola Lookman, who scored twice to avenge his compatriot Victor Osimhen and help Atalanta win 3-0 at Estadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Conte faults Napoli’s last season
A visibly deflated Conte attended the post-match conference and defended his team, claiming they lost against a better side that has been building for years with Gian Piero Gasperini.
The Italian did not hold back with a shot at the club’s last season, finishing ninth, out of European places, and 39 points behind Inter Milan, the worst finish by a defending champion, as noted by Forbes.
Conte referenced the disastrous finish, claiming it was why he was brought in to rebuild, but patience is required because when the club had better players, they finished worse.
“When I speak I tell the truth. I don’t do it to cry, I hate lies, and I say things I don’t mean. Whether you like it or not I will always tell the truth. We are here to work and try to rebuild,” he said as quoted by Corriere dello Sport.
“Last year, with players who were not bad we came in tenth,” he added.
Some players from last season are still at the club, but the two major departures are Osimhen, who left for Galatasaray and Piotr Zielinksi, who joined Inter Milan.
The club’s situation was difficult last season, as they had three managers, Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri, and Francesco Calzona, each coaching 16, 17, and 16 games, respectively.
Conte’s words that they were “better players” is an indictment of the managers and a slap on the players who left, claiming they put the club in a mess.
Napoli missed Victor Osimhen
Briefly, News reported that Conte suggested Napoli missed Osimhen during their 3-0 loss to Atalanta at Estadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday afternoon.
Osimhen’s national teammate and the favourite to succeed him as the African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, punished the Neapolitans with two goals.
