Napoli will challenge Inter away in Serie A Round 3. On the eve of the match, Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri attended a press conference. This article covers the first half of the press conference.

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【Allegri: Last season's double over Inter was just statistics; McTominay cannot be simply replaced by others】

Good afternoon, coach. Given the overall performance in the first two rounds of the league, especially the numerous difficulties you encountered in the second round, and Scott McTominay's current injury problems, from your professional perspective, can tomorrow's strong clash between Inter and Napoli still be called a decisive battle for the league title under the current circumstances?

First of all, good afternoon everyone. I understand very well that in the world of football, people often experience extreme emotional fluctuations, either highly excited or deeply frustrated. However, I believe that, ultimately, this is only the third round of Serie A. Our entire team felt very regretful and disappointed about losing to Como at home last Sunday. However, no matter how the outside world judges us, we must maintain a rational mindset and emotional balance internally.

Why do I say this? Because the entire season has just begun, and there is still an extremely long journey ahead, with many matches waiting for us to fight for. We are currently only at the beginning of the season, and as I mentioned before, our Champions League journey is about to begin. Indeed, we lost to Como, but in my personal opinion, our performance in that match was not actually bad. Of course, this also depends on your perspective, your stance, and how you read and analyze a match.

It is undeniable that we are currently in a phase where there is still huge room for improvement in our physical condition, and the team needs to further improve its fitness. And tomorrow, we will have a very exciting match, because it is after all a direct confrontation between the first and second place teams in last season's Serie A. We must approach it with full confidence. After tomorrow's match, we will shift our energy to the Champions League match against Arsenal next Wednesday.

Good afternoon, coach. Recently, there has been much discussion and debate among the public and fans about the complete absence of Alessandro Buongiorno in the last match against Como. Therefore, I would like to ask you, facing tomorrow's crucial tough battle, what is the current physical and competitive condition of this young man?

Buongiorno is currently in excellent form, and his performance as a substitute in the previous match against Genoa was very impressive. But I think we cannot put too much pressure and responsibility on Alessandro Buongiorno's shoulders. He is indeed a very excellent young player, but so far, if I remember correctly, he has only played about 12 games for the Napoli first team. I think we must treat young players gradually and not be too hasty.

I repeat, last Sunday I made different choices based on specific tactical needs, and according to the rules, I can only make up to 5 substitutions in a match, so he ultimately remained on the bench. But this absolutely does not mean that he will not have a chance to play tomorrow, or cannot come on as a substitute in the match. I will make the final assessment on these details tomorrow morning. But I still want to emphasize that the team's overall physical condition and fitness level are gradually improving. Tomorrow we will have a strong showdown with Inter, which is a tough battle, and we must face it with 100% confidence and fighting spirit.

Hello, Coach Allegri. First there was McTominay's sudden injury, followed by news of Lobotka's injury. What do these consecutive setbacks for two key players mean for the entire team and the locker room? What specific impact will this have on your lineup and tactical choices for tomorrow?

You ask what this means for our team? I think there is absolutely no negative impact. Because in a long and intense season, injuries are an unavoidable part of professional football, and this is perfectly normal.

Regarding McTominay, we made the joint decision to let him temporarily rest after in-depth communication with the player himself and the medical team, because in the upcoming schedule we still face four tough battles: first tomorrow's Inter, then Arsenal, followed by Bologna and Fiorentina. And after the international break on October 10th, we will have as many as 9 extremely important matches in just 25 or 26 days. During that period, we need everyone in the team to be in optimal competitive and physical condition.

Therefore, choosing to let them completely rest and recover at this stage is a more secure and wise decision, which can ensure that when the international break ends and we reassemble, they can return to the team at 100% and be ready for deployment. This is the most important and critical consideration at the moment.

Good afternoon, coach. I would like to bring the topic back to tomorrow's strong match. What are your personal feelings about returning to San Siro? Although from Inter's perspective, you were still coaching there a few months ago, do you have any special emotional reflections besides the experience of playing in that great stadium? Because playing at San Siro is always extraordinary—it represents the pinnacle of Italian football, the most wonderful showdowns, and an excellent showcase for Italian football on the world stage. Tomorrow's stadium will undoubtedly be packed, and the clash between Inter and Napoli has always been fiery, with the two teams fiercely competing at the top of Serie A in recent years—Napoli won the title, then Inter topped, then Napoli lifted the trophy again, and then Inter won again. It can be said that these two teams are the most contentious rivals in Serie A in recent years. Therefore, how should we approach San Siro tomorrow night?

First of all, playing at San Siro always brings an incredibly wonderful experience. As you said, this is definitely a rare peak showdown in Italian football and the best showcase for Serie A. Tomorrow night's stadium will definitely be packed, as is always the case with matches between Inter and Napoli. The two teams have always fought fiercely at the top in recent years. During this period, we have seen both sides take turns dominating and being each other's biggest rivals.

Therefore, we must demonstrate an extremely high standard commensurate with tomorrow night's match. Firstly, at the tactical and technical level, we must play a high-quality, refined game. Because in last Sunday's league match, we made too many unnecessary low-level technical mistakes, and this situation must not be allowed to happen again tomorrow night. Secondly, we must also be fully committed in terms of competitive spirit and mental willpower, because this level of strong dialogue will never end until the referee blows the final whistle, and this is precisely the most charming and attractive aspect of such peak showdowns.

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