Napoli boss Antonio Conte hits out at Eintracht Frankfurt for defensive tactics

Napoli boss Antonio Conte was a picture of frustration after his side were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Maradona Stadium.

Despite his team’s utter dominance—creating what he called “huge chances”—Conte’s focus quickly shifted to the opposition’s highly defensive setup, claiming their approach was uncharacteristic for a German side and hypocritical in the modern game.

The Italian manager, who is never one to mince words, did not hide his surprise at the deep-lying tactics employed by Eintracht, stating (via AreaNapoli): “It’s strange to see a German team play such defensive football.”

But the comments turned pointed when Conte used the situation to launch a direct hit at critics and the media for their perceived double standards regarding Italian football. “Eintracht came here to defend, congratulations to them,” Conte said in his post-match conference, adding the rhetorical punch: “If we [Napoli] had done it, they would have said it was an Italian catenaccio!”

Conte was clearly hitting out at the enduring stereotype applied to Serie A sides. He argued that his players deserved credit for dominating the match and controlling the tempo, and that they cannot be blamed for the result when facing an opponent committed only to defending their box. He insisted his biggest regret was simply the finishing, not the performance: “I have little to complain about with the lads. We dominated, but we lacked the goal.” Conte’s defiant defense of his team was a clear message: the only thing missing from Napoli’s game was a goal, not ambition or attacking prowess.