Conte praises Lautaro: an incredible play went unnoticed

The Napoli coach wanted to express words of appreciation for Lautaro Martinez, with whom he shared the Scudetto victory during their time at Inter. Although it is well known that the two never had a particularly close relationship, Conte praised the striker in an interview given to Gazzetta dello Sport.

“What strikes me about him? His continuous growth. And then his personality and charisma. There is an Inter with Lautaro and an Inter without: his presence makes a huge difference,” declared the coach from Apulia, emphasizing the importance of the Nerazzurri captain for the team’s balance.

One episode in particular caught Conte’s attention during the Club World Cup: “Lautaro’s play in Argentina’s third goal against Egypt went a bit unnoticed, but it was incredible: he ran up the field, protected the ball, gave Enzo Fernandez time to arrive, and delivered a perfect cross. You don’t expect such a play from a number nine.”

The former Inter coach then praised the maturity shown by the Argentine and by Alvarez in managing their roles: “Lautaro understood, like Alvarez, that he could be important even for just a few minutes. They accepted the situation by putting their egos behind the needs of the team: both of them and Scaloni did a great job convincing them.”