Antonio Conte defined his anger on the referee after the Coppa Italia shoot-out exit to Como, however above all of the damage disaster. ‘We’re having an extremely constructive season, within the circumstances.’
They have been held , as Antonio Vergara struck on the daybreak of the second half to cancel out the Martin Baturina penalty.
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There was a substantial amount of controversy too, as on the fiftieth minute Jacobo Ramon was lucky to not obtain a second yellow card for his foul on Rasmus Hojlund on the sting of the penalty space.
Even the primary card triggered some anger on the touchline, as some thought Ramon’s foul on Hojlund was sufficient to warrant a straight crimson for denying a transparent scoring alternative.
Conte fuming at referee after Napoli exit
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Antonio Conte, SSC Napoli head coach, gestures throughout the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Pictures)
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“Let’s not at all times go and discuss referees, as a result of there’s at all times going to be somebody complaining,”
“It’s actually not a superb season for referees and for VAR, I hope they’ll discover one thing that can enhance the state of affairs. The actual fact is, everyone seems to be complaining, coaches, gamers and followers, so the game must step up and enhance, as a result of simply as we enhance our groups, Rocchi has to enhance his referees and VAR officers.
“It’s not good for soccer, it’s not good for us.”
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Romelu Lukaku of SSC Napoli reacts after lacking a penalty within the penalty shootout throughout the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Pictures)
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It went to not only a penalty shoot-out, however sudden dying, the place the decisive errors have been made by Romelu Lukaku and Stanislav Lobotka.
“I credit score the lads, as a result of it was actually not straightforward to face a Como facet with a full squad accessible, who had rested for 10 days,” continued Conte.
“We have been coming off a recreation performed in opposition to Genoa three days in the past, which we ended with 10 males and misplaced one other participant to damage, as Scott McTominay is so vital for us.”
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Antonio Conte, head coach of SSC Napoli, appears down in disappointment throughout the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Pictures)
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The Partenopei have been already out of the Champions League and at the moment are eradicated from the Coppa Italia within the quarter-final stage too.
“I can solely reward these gamers, as a result of we’re pushing past our present potential. We’ve only a few assets accessible, that are merely nowhere close to the ambitions that we must always’ve had for this season.
“Regardless of that, the lads are doing remarkably properly. Como will go into the semi-final, we gained the Supercoppa Italiana and the Scudetto within the final yr and a half. It’s disappointing, as a result of there are years the place you’d wish to do extra, however contemplating the squad at our disposal proper now, any coach would battle.
“I thank the followers, who can see the hassle we’re placing in in opposition to an entire Como squad. Regardless of all of the difficulties, we have been centimetres away from qualifying for the semi-final.”
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Antonio Conte, SSC Napoli head coach, gestures earlier than the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Pictures)
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At the very least with solely Serie A to concentrate on and one recreation per week, Conte was requested if he might promise Napoli can at the least attempt to problem Inter for the Scudetto now, and doubtlessly discover out why they’ve had so many accidents?
“What an absurd query,” he laughed bitterly.
“How will you predict Di Lorenzo’s damage, or Lukaku with a indifferent tendon, De Bruyne with injury to a tendon in a leg he already had an operation on, or Gilmour who wants surgical procedure and spends months out. How will you predict that?
“What we are able to do is go to a shrine and pray, as a result of these are accidents that final for the entire season. With six or seven vital gamers out for months at a time, it forces the identical ones to maintain taking part in on a regular basis, in order that creates issues for McTominay and Rrahmani.
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Antonio Conte, SSC Napoli head coach, gestures throughout the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Pictures)
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“I don’t assume this kind of factor has ever occurred to a different membership. On high of that, I used to be instructed we couldn’t do something on the switch market both, we introduced in two younger lads to provide us a hand.
“I believe what we’re doing this season is extremely constructive, within the circumstances. As for the Scudetto, there’s a nine-point hole, we’ve critical issues and you might be speaking in regards to the Scudetto. Come on. There’s Inter, Milan, Roma, Juventus, even Como, what are we speaking about?
“We’ve to be critical in questions and evaluations too, in any other case all of it turns into ridiculous,” concluded a visibly offended Conte.