Antonio Conte admitted Napoli “have a lot of work to do” after the humiliating 6-2 defeat to PSV in the Champions League, but insisted he will not change his tactical approach.
The Italian side endured a disastrous evening at the Philips Stadium on Tuesday, squandering an early lead after Scott McTominay’s 31st-minute header put them ahead.
PSV hit back almost immediately, with Alessandro Buongiorno turning Ivan Perisic’s cross into his own goal, before Ismael Saibari calmly side-footed to complete the turnaround within seven minutes.
Dennis Man scored a third shortly after the break as Napoli fell apart, and their evening took a turn for the worse when Lorenzo Lucca was sent off for dissent.
Man then added his second, before McTominay grabbed a late consolation header. Substitutes Ricardo Pepi and Couhaib Driouech piled on the misery in the closing minutes, trading goals and assists to seal an emphatic victory for the Dutch side.
However, despite the nature of their loss, Conte insists he will not rush to make tactical changes with a crucial Serie A match against Inter Milan looming this weekend.
“I see these players every day and when I try to calm things down I don’t make excuses,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia.
“It’s because I see things that indicate this is going to be a complicated campaign.”
An evening to quickly forget, thank you for your support.
Everything together to get up straight away! pic.twitter.com/pcCL5T5VbZ— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) October 21, 2025
When asked about tactical adjustments, he replied: “What do you mean? If you win, it’s all good, if you lose, it’s all bad.”
“Everyone praised the use of four midfielders, people said [Kevin] De Bruyne was bad after just one game, but after Sporting they said he couldn’t be replaced.
“We tried to let the four midfielders coexist. In my opinion, a good coach is able to choose his best players in the starting line-up and find the right alchemy. We have sometimes succeeded.”
“Inevitably there will always be someone who complains that this or that figure is not playing, but what do we need to change tactically?
“We have found the best balance at the moment and two very attacking wingers don’t give us balance, so I don’t see the need to sacrifice any of the midfielders now.”
However, Conte acknowledged the magnitude of the defeat but urged his team to view it as a lesson and not a setback.
“There is certainly disappointment, but these situations are never a coincidence. We must do well to make the best of what happened tonight and change course,” he said.
“But this is the level of the Champions League. We cannot complain. There is a lot of work to be done, but we know it will take a real fight this season, so we have to be ready to do that work.”
6 – #Napoli conceded six goals for the first time in European competition; In total, they suffered at least six goals in one match for the first time since December 21, 1997 (3-6 against Sampdoria in Serie A). Rumor.#PSVNapoli #UCL pic.twitter.com/wHSjZx8uwe
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 21, 2025
The result was the first time Napoli had conceded six goals in European competition, and the first time in total since a 6–3 Serie A defeat to Sampdoria in December 1997.
The Italian also added that repeating last season’s Scudetto heroics, with a busy schedule and more players, would be a major challenge for the Partenopei.
“Last season we won the Scudetto in an extraordinary, incredible way, with very few players while everyone exceeded their limits,” Conte said.
“We had great unity and solidity. It was inevitable that we played in Europe and added many more new players, which in my opinion were too many, because nine new faces in a dressing room is no mean feat. We were forced to do that.”
“I have said since the start of the season that this would be difficult because I have experience and know what it takes to accommodate these changes.”
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