Antonio Conte was full of praise for Napoli's next Champions League opponents Sporting when he spoke to the media the day before the match.
“Sporting are one of Portugal's top teams,” he began. They have an excellent squad, they won the league last year and we know how good they are. They're a top-quality team but we're a good team ourselves and we want to show we're up to the task
“It's an important match but every match is difficult and poses problems, especially in the Champions League. If we need to take risks, we will, but this is a very intense season for us. We need to come up with solutions, not excuses, and make the best use of the resources we have at the moment.
“Injuries are part of the game, especially when you're playing two games every week, plus with all the travelling that lots of our international players have had to face. We've got some of our defensive options back for tomorrow and we're ready to give our all. I have a few decisions to make about what our best team is at the moment.
“I was happy with our performance at San Siro. We had a few lapses that cost us the goals but overall it was a good performance. You don't always see Napoli go to San Siro to boss the game. Last year we won but we found it really tough. Ironically, this time we were more in control of the game and we lost. As I said, we need to stay level-headed and I have to look at the overall performance.
“This year is going to be very tricky – I said that right at the start. We're trying to get everyone involved so that we can deal with all the competitions we're in. This season is also about building for the future so that the team can grow for the third year of this project. I work hard every day to develop the team. A strong work ethic is one of my core principles.”
