Napoli manager Antonio Conte hailed Inter Milan for their solid and collective showing against Man City on Wednesday night.
The Nerazzurri faced Pep Guardiola’s side on the opening matchday of the Champions League.
Despite the difficult task at hand, the Italian champions kept a clean sheet against Erling Haaland and company.
Inter also had the bulk of the chances in the first half, but lacked the finishing touch. In the end, the two sides settled for a goalless draw in their rematch from the 2022/23 Champions League final.
For his part, Conte was impressed by his former team’s display.
The ex-Juventus captain and manager is currently preparing for his much-anticipated return to the Allianz Stadium this weekend.
But while discussing Napoli, he cited Inter’s display at the Etihad as an example.
The 55-year-old noted how Simone Inzaghi’s men were both elegant and nasty at the same time, which allowed them to register a positive result against the Premier League champions.
“We must wear a nice suit. I want and have the pleasure of always offering a nice show on a footballing level,” said Conte in his pre-match press conference via FcInterNews.
“But during matches, it is inevitable to be ready to get some dirt on your nice suit, just out of the tailor.
Antonio Conte Felt Inter Milan Set An Example By Showing Multiple Layers Vs Man City
“It is the winning combination for great teams because there are different moments in a match.
“I’ll give you an example: yesterday Inter alternated moments in which they played football and others in which they were all defending in the last 25 meters.
“They showed that they are a team with a capital ‘T’. You can’t wear just one suit, we have to understand that.
“Last season, we often thought about attacking and there was little balance, there was no fierce desire to win back the ball or to regroup. We are working on this aspect.”