I understand him — Ex-Real Madrid boss backs Conte as Osimhen replacement struggles again

I understand him — Ex-Real Madrid boss backs Conte as Osimhen replacement struggles again

Ifeanyi Ufomadu 15:42 - 25.02.2025

Napoli have now gone 4 games without a win and manager Antonio Conte could not hide his frustration in the 2-1 defeat to Como.

The Serie A title race took a twist at the weekend as Inter Milan climbed to the top of the table after beating Genoa 1-0, while Napoli suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat at Como.

The two teams will face off in a crucial match at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday.

Legendary manager Fabio Capello weighed in on the weekend's drama, expressing surprise at Napoli's loss to Como.

"The defeat in Como stings and carries psychological weight," Capello said via Gazzetta.

"Napoli have collected just three points in the last four matches, squandering their lead, even though Inter behind them haven’t exactly been moving at a blistering pace."

Capello also backed Antonio Conte's decision to substitute Romelu Lukaku after just 60 minutes.

"Lukaku’s substitution might seem surprising, as he wasn’t having his best day, but I understand the coach’s decision: Antonio tried to find a solution from the bench when he realized things weren’t going as planned.

"The problem was that the substitutes weren’t able to contribute much more than those who were taken off."

Lukaku's struggles this season have been a major concern for Napoli. He's scored just 9 goals in 26 appearances, a far cry from the form of Victor Osimhen, who's thriving on loan at Galatasaray with 20 goals in 25 appearances.

Osimhen's departure has left a void that Lukaku has yet to fill.

Tags: