Conte Acknowledges Napoli’s Focus on Champions League Qualification as Inter Extends Lead

Napoli may find themselves three points behind leaders Inter Milan in the Serie A title chase, but manager Antonio Conte has emphasised that the club’s main focus is on securing qualification for the Champions League after missing out last season.

Having lifted the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years during the 2022-23 season, the team had a disappointing finish in 10th place last year, leading to the hiring of Conte. Under his guidance, Napoli has been revitalised, re-establishing themselves as genuine contenders for the title.

With just six matches remaining, the Scudetto race remains tight, and Conte has rallied Napoli’s supporters to “keep dreaming” of another championship, all while emphasising the importance of returning to Europe’s elite club tournament.

“Our primary goal is to secure a spot in the Champions League. Above all else, this achievement would get us closer to a prestigious target that seemed out of reach at the start of the season,” Conte shared with reporters ahead of Saturday’s match against Monza.

“We’ve made our intentions clear. We will strive to create as many challenges as possible right until the end… What we’ve been doing is exceeding all expectations based on last year’s performance.

“We must keep nurturing this dream with all our effort… It hasn’t been an easy journey thus far, and we will encounter more hurdles along the way. We need to maintain the level of performance we’ve demonstrated so far, without making excuses.”

Napoli has struggled on the road, failing to secure a win since January, resulting in five matches that comprise four draws and a 2-1 defeat to Como.

“These are undeniable statistics. We may be sitting second and three points behind Inter, but even though we haven’t won in a while, we haven’t faced many defeats lately—only that match against Como,” Conte remarked.

“We’ve accumulated a solid points tally, placing us second, thanks to our consistent performances both at home and away. While we can analyse different phases of the season, our overall consistency is what will enable us to meet our objectives.

“We’re yet to claim an away victory, and it’s always our aim to break that drought.”