Napoli's Sole Focus On Winning The Serie A Title As Antonio Conte Dismisses Future Speculations

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Napoli are currently at the top of Serie A with only three matches remaining. Their fans and manager, Antonio Conte, are solely focused on maintaining this lead. Napoli have a three-point advantage over Inter Milan. Despite surpassing expectations this season, there is ongoing media speculation about Conte's future at the club.

At a recent press conference before their home game against Genoa, Conte addressed questions about his future. "Trust me, the fans in this moment don’t ask me this question," he said with a smile. "The fans, apart from thanking me, they ask if we will win. And I answer that we will certainly try, as we are doing. This is their only question. The rest? It’s boredom, Franco Califano, ‘Everything else is boredom’."

Napoli have been formidable defensively this season, conceding the fewest goals (25) and achieving the most clean sheets (17) among Europe's top five leagues. They have only surpassed these numbers twice before in Serie A when 20 teams were involved: in 2022-23 with 18 shutouts and in 2017-18 with 19.

The Opta supercomputer gives Napoli an 88.5% chance of winning the Scudetto, while Inter's chances stand at just 11.5%. Napoli have dominated Genoa recently, losing only two of their last 28 Serie A encounters against them since five consecutive defeats between 2007 and 2009.

Napoli are on a four-match winning streak without conceding a goal in Serie A and aim to extend it to five for the first time in their history. They will play Genoa after knowing Inter's result against Torino earlier on Sunday. Conte emphasised the importance of handling pressure positively to stay focused and motivated.

"Regardless, there will be pressure; we have to be good at directing it in a positive manner, as long as it is a help to remain concentrated, have desire and motivation," Conte stated. He added that playing before or after other teams should not affect their focus on their own game.

Injury Updates

Conte provided updates on player injuries ahead of the Genoa match. Stanislav Lobotka has rejoined training but requires a fitness test before final decisions are made. David Neres has partially resumed training and might be available for selection to experience the match atmosphere again.

Alessandro Buongiorno remains sidelined, while Juan Jesus is eager to return but is being held back by medical staff despite his readiness claims.

Mental Resilience Key to Success

When asked about Napoli's turnaround from last season's struggles, Conte highlighted mental strength as crucial. "It all depends and starts from the head," he explained. "Then what the fans ask of us, the heart, ours cannot be doubted, and then there are the legs, which must be trained. But what moves everything is the head."

The final two games will see Napoli playing simultaneously with other teams, which Conte believes will be advantageous for maintaining focus solely on their performance without external distractions.