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Napoli head coach Antonio Conte suggested that Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund have had a hand in creating a problem for Napoli following the Italian side’s 6-2 Champions League defeat to PSV.
Conte’s side put in a poor showing in Eindhoven, with Scott McTominay among the few players coming away with any credit after he scored a brace.
The former Manchester United man opened the scoring before adding his second with five minutes to play, but Napoli’s struggle was made even tougher when Lorenzo Lucca was sent off in the 76th minute for arguing with the referee.
The result saw the 2024/25 Serie A champions drop to 22nd in the 36-team league phase while PSV jumped to 11th after three matches.
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The loss was Napoli’s second in less than a week, having suffered a 1-0 defeat to Torino last Saturday.
Former Premier League stars De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour both started against PSV but struggled to make a positive impact before both were withdrawn by Conte in the second half, while Hojlund missed out due to a thigh injury.
And after the game, in typical Conte fashion, the Napoli head coach did not hold back in his brutally honest post-match interview.
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The 56-year-old claimed that last season his side “went beyond their limitations” and had “great unity” before homing in on the fact Napoli have added nine more players – including De Bruyne and Hojlund – suggesting the number of recruits was “too many”.
Conte told Sky Sport Italia: “Inevitably, playing in Europe and adding many more new players, who in my view were too many, because nine new faces in a locker room is no mean feat. We were forced to do that.
“Since the start of the season, I said this was going to be tough, because I have experience, I know what it takes to absorb these changes.”
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Alongside De Bruyne and Hojlund, Sam Beukema, Noa Lang, Miguel Gutierrez, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Lucca, Eljif Elmas and Lucas Marianucci arrived in Naples either as permanent or loan signings.
Napoli have also been dealing with an injury crisis, with forward Romelu Lukaku sustaining a serious muscular issue in his thigh during pre-season. Stanislav Lobotka and Amir Rrahmani also remain out.
“I see these players every day, and when I try to calm things down, it’s not looking for excuses,” Conte added.
“It’s because I can see things that suggest to me this is going to be a complicated campaign.”
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Napoli return to Serie A action on Saturday when they host Inter.
Topics: Napoli, Antonio Conte, Kevin De Bruyne, Rasmus Hojlund, Champions League, Football, Serie A
Luke Davies