Neres and Politano on Napoli triumph: ‘We follow Conte to the death’

David Neres and Matteo Politano assure Napoli ‘came here as Champions of Italy and were determined to win’ the Supercoppa Italiana too. ‘We follow Antonio Conte to the death.’

The Partenopei secured the Serie A title last season by pipping Inter to the top in the final round, and then defeated AC Milan 2-0 in the Supercoppa semi-final on Thursday.

They enjoyed the same result this evening in the Final, getting the better of Bologna with a brace from Neres.

It was inevitable that he would get the Man of the Match award, having scored both goals in Riyadh.

“I’m very happy with the two goals, but even happier with the win. It’s always good to win prizes, we came here to be champions and we did it,” Neres told Sport Mediaset.

Can this success give them the boost needed to get back on track in the Champions League and in Serie A too?

“Winning always brings more confidence, especially winning a tournament. Now we can rest a little bit, I think one day, and then we focus on the next match. The Champions League is a while away, but our next focus is on Serie A.”

Politano has not forgotten the reaction from the media when Napoli lost 2-0 to Bologna at the Stadio Dall’Ara on November 9, which knocked them off top spot in Serie A.

“We came here as Champions of Italy and were determined to win this trophy. We proved it on the field with an exceptional performance, we could’ve scored a lot more goals, as we had so many chances, and it’s a thoroughly deserved victory,” Politano told Sport Mediaset.

What has Conte brought to the squad in terms of winning mentality?

“The coach is our leader and we follow him to the death. Everyone said we were in crisis after the defeat to Bologna, but we quietly worked our way back and now have this trophy to show for it.”