Conte urges Napoli to enjoy the ride
Antonio Conte wanted to savour the moment after Napoli moved three points clear in an enthralling Serie A title tussle.
Napoli, which won the league title in 2023, was absent from European competitions this season after finishing 10th in 23/24.
Conte wants his team to embrace the moment as it closes in on a second title in three seasons.
"It's not the first time we're in the lead, we've been in the lead more than anyone else," Conte said.
"However, there are fewer and fewer games and you can pay for any type of mistake in a big way. We are mathematically in the Champions League, a very important economic goal for the club, and you have to enjoy it at least a little.
"There are four steps to go, I told the lads too.
"We had a strange evening. I didn't watch Inter, because I already suffer enough for our games. I didn't intervene with the lads (either), I wanted to leave free will, knowing that we could also lose mental energy.
"Before the game I told them that nothing had changed and that we had to win, with great motivation. The lads were very good, driven by an extraordinary environment."
With four games remaining in the season, Napoli travels to relegation-threatened Lecce on Sunday before facing Genoa, Parma and Cagliari – all in the bottom half of the table – in its final matches.
Napoli has been led by Scott McTominay's goals as of late, with the Scotland international having now netted 11 times in Serie A this season.
That is the highest goal tally in a single Serie A season by a Scottish player, while McTominay joins Marek Hamsik (who did it four times) as the only Napoli midfielder to net at least 10 Serie A goals in a campaign since the turn of the century.
Conte also provided an update on midfielder Frank Anguissa and defender Alessandro Buongiorno, who were substituted due to injuries around the hour mark.
"It's difficult to make assessments for Anguissa while it's still fresh. I think he took a blow to the pelvis," Conte said.
"For Buongiorno we'll have to wait 24-48 hours to understand better. He had this tendon problem in the lower part of the pubic bone, but now it's very difficult to make a diagnosis.
"We're used to dealing with emergencies and we'll continue to do so without problems."
Anguissa assisted McTominay's opener, meaning he has 10 goal involvements (six goals, four assists) this term. It is the first time the former Fulham and Marseille man has registered 10 goal contributions in a single campaign in the top five European leagues.
