The best goal was scored by Napoli in the 96th minute. Naples, not the Naples who genuflected before theAtalantawinner ofEuropa League.
In this period they are the best team in the championship, Conte had put everyone on notice but he couldn’t imagine such a harsh defeat. The reaction of the stadium Maradona after the 0-3 it was an encouragement with applause and chants for the coach and the Azzurri, for the leaders who saw their lead over the second place reduced and on Sunday will attack Inter at Meazza. «We have a dream in our hearts», a shout rose from the stands in response to the greeting from Di Lorenzo and his teammates from the field. And this dream certainly cannot die at the dawn of the championship. Because 11 games were played and this was a very tough opponent.
Conte he recalled that he came here to rebuild: patience and time are needed. The record was full of enthusiasm for the Neapolitans but no one was under the illusion that the scudetto had already been won. Because there is strong competition and Napoli has important players who still work intermittently, like Lukaku and Kvara: on Tuesday they achieved success against Milan, yesterday they were non-existent.
The team and its coach know they can count on very strong allies. Those chants and those applause were like a pat on the back of the Azzurri and an incentive to raise their heads again in six days’ time in the match against Inter. Thousands of Neapolitans, if they could, would shout at Napoli “Don’t disunite”, as the director Capuano with Fabietto in the film “It was the hand of God” by a real fan Paolo Sorrentino. Let the Azzurri stay united and get over the disappointment of their second defeat, also 3-0. Conte will put them in front of the video, not behind the blackboard, when training resumes because, especially for those who are used to winning like him, the meaning of a defeat is clear. Two years ago, when he was coaching Tottenham, he said: «I won a lot of trophies but I also lost a lot. It was good because sometimes, when you lose, you become stronger and your disappointment becomes a charge.”
In the nine games between the first and second defeat, the fans saw a light that convinced them that this is the right path, regardless of the defenders overwhelmed by the uncatchable Lookman and Lukaku who didn’t get a single one right against Hien. It’s not just an act of faith towards Napoli. It is a reflection developed in the 76 days spent from Verona to Atalanta. That was a humiliation against a weaker team, this was a heavy defeat which should not be dramatized because the opponent is of value, with a coach who won a “heavy” European cup last season and it is no coincidence he was in the running with Conte to manage the reconstruction of Napoli. We start again not from 0-3 but from the embrace of Naples and the hands extended to the players to make them get up immediately.
