Napoli head coach Antonio Conte is reportedly set for crisis talks with the club’s hierarchy following a 2-0 defeat at Bologna on Sunday evening.
The defending Serie A champions relinquished their spot at the top of the league as they were well beaten at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, with goals from Thijs Dallinga and John Lucumi doing the damage in the second half.
It was Napoli’s fifth defeat in all competitions this season and the third game in a row that they have failed to find the back of the net.
And according to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto, Conte will have a ‘face-to-face meeting’ with the Napoli board as his position at the club looks increasingly uncertain.
After the full-time whistle in Bologna, Conte cut a frustrated figure and did not hold back when criticising the performance of his players.
‘If you lose five games, it means that something is not going right,’ he started. Something needs to be done, because I don’t want to accompany a dead person, I am the first eventually and take responsibility. At the first negative situation we broke up, I will also talk to the club about this aspect.
Antonio Conte is set for crunch talks with the Napoli board as his future looks uncertain
Napoli lost 2-0 away at Bologna on Sunday and only managed four shots during the game
‘I don’t see alchemy but everyone thinking about their own problem. Heart transplants aren’t possible. Each of us must rediscover the spirit, the heart, the wickedness. Things are done but we have to see how they are done.
‘It’s one thing to do your homework, it’s another to play in a team with very high expectations. Everyone is thinking about their own backyard, I had already seen this and so I want to speak well with the club.
‘We must not forget that after the third Scudetto, Napoli finished tenth but I don’t think this was a great lesson. Sometimes we think that overnight the ugly duckling then becomes a swan.
‘Last year we did something extraordinary and of absolute value, now we are continuing to work but we have to ask ourselves how, if there is the right enthusiasm and desire or we are basking in the victory of the past and we think we are favorites.
‘We certainly don’t have the energy of last season, the boys know very well what I think about it. I’m sorry that I’m not managing to change this trend in the four months that have passed, because it means that I’m not doing a good job or someone doesn’t want to hear it.’
The latest meltdown comes three weeks after Conte labelled Napoli’s transfer window a ‘mistake’ following a humbling 6-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Napoli added nine new players to Conte’s squad, including Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne and Manchester United outcast Rasmus Hojlund.
‘Last year, we won an extraordinary and incredible championship, where everyone pushed their limits with great unity and unity across the board. This year, however, between playing so many games and bringing in so many players,’ Conte said in late October.
Rasmus Hojlund and Kevin De Bruyne were two of nine summer signings for Napoli
‘In my opinion, nine new players were too many. We weren’t balanced. I’ve always said this year would be difficult; there are some aspects that need to be absorbed over time.’
Hojlund, who is on loan from Manchester United, started his life in Naples on fire. However, the goals have begun to dry up and with Napoli struggling at the top end of the pitch, he has come in for a lot of criticism.
The 22-year-old has failed to score since the beginning of October, and his performance against Bologna left little to be desired. He failed to register a shot on target during the 90 minutes, while also picking up a yellow card.
However, despite Hojlund putting in what could be perceived as a poor display, Conte singled the striker out as the only positive of the evening.
‘Maybe he was the best on the pitch for me,’ Conte continued. ‘He held his own, he attacked the depth. Lucumì struggled to keep him. Then if we close the performance on whether or not to score goals then the situation is different.
‘We had prepared some things, we should have supported him more. Rasmus managed several balls, we were missing. His game for me was good.’
Napoli have now slipped down into fourth in Serie A following the defeat, with Bologna breathing down their necks behind them.
