Conte: "We responded as a real unit this evening"

MILAN – Inter emerged victorious in their final home fixture of the 2019/20 season as they beat Napoli 2-0 at San Siro. Thanks to D’Ambrosio’s first-half finish and Lautaro’s goal after the restart, the Nerazzurri ended matchday 37 in second place in the league.

This is what Antonio Conte had to say to Sky following this evening’s match:

Have you seen positive aspects that confirm the team’s progress this evening?“Definitely, also because we were up against a strong side who, in the past few years, have been the only team to make life hard for Juventus at the top. They have a squad of excellent players full of quality. So all credit should go to the lads, who produced a great performance, even after finding out Atalanta’s result. We had no option but to win, and such situations are important because, even if you don’t get any trophies for finishing in second place, getting used to feeling pressure is important. We responded as a real unit this evening, and I’m really happy for the group.”

How will the team be able to recuperate for the matches against Atalanta and Getafe, both of which are important and will take place in quick succession? “When it came to today’s selection, we had to make some calculations because it’s been a really busy period where we’ve been playing every three days. We’ll now have a bit longer to rest: we’ve got four days available to us, and I see this as a positive thing because we’ll have more time to prepare. Saturday will be an important occasion even beyond the league standings, because we’ll be facing a side that is a strong force in Serie A and is also doing well in the Champions League. It’ll be good test to see where we stand right now.”

Inter have scored more and conceded fewer goals than Juventus. If you’d be told that these would be Inter’s numbers at the end of the season, what would your reaction have been?“I think the professionals should be the ones to judge my work and Inter’s season. I understand that my presence creates high expectations: I’ve had quick success in the past, but this can’t always happen. It’s disappointing when things are framed in such a way that it offends the professionalism of someone who puts every ounce of passion into their work. The lads are bringing me great joy and are giving their absolute all.”