Antonio Conte and Cristian Chivu, coaches of Napoli and Inter respectively, exchanged sharp words following their Serie A clash on Saturday. Napoli emerged victorious with a 3-1 win at the Stadio Diego
Armando Maradona. The match was intense, with Conte involved in a heated exchange with Inter's Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez on the sidelines.
Inter's frustration peaked when Napoli was awarded a penalty, which Kevin De Bruyne converted to give them the lead. Unfortunately, De Bruyne injured his hamstring during the play. Beppe Marotta, Inter's president, spoke to the media instead of Chivu after the game, expressing dissatisfaction over the penalty decision against Henrikh Mkhitaryan for his challenge on Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Conte criticised Inter's approach of sending Marotta to address the media. He stated: "Inter send Marotta and the directors whenever they get the opportunity, whereas at Napoli I come [to the press]. A team has to realise why they lost; by doing this they just create alibis for the players and coach. " Conte emphasised that such actions undermine the coach's role.
Chivu responded to Conte's remarks by defending his club's right to act as it sees fit. He said: "The club has the right to do whatever it feels is right. I, as a coach, remain consistent. I will never come here to complain. " Chivu expressed his commitment to changing perceptions of football in Italy without concern for others' opinions.
100 3 - In his 46th game leading #Napoli, Antonio #Conte reached the 100-point mark as a coach managing the 3rd different club in #SerieA, having already achieved this milestone with Juventus (in his 44th game) and Inter (47th). Leader.#NapoliInter pic.twitter.com/9Pv1AI3Mhy
OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 25, 2025
The match saw De Bruyne score from a penalty midway through the first half. Scott McTominay doubled Napoli’s lead in the 54th minute. Hakan Calhanoglu pulled one back for Inter from another penalty five minutes later. However, Frank Anguissa secured Napoli’s victory with a third goal.
Conte reflected on his past success with Inter when asked about his confrontation with Dumfries and Martinez. He remarked: "When you play games at this level, these things can happen. I brought the Scudetto back to [Inter] after 10 years. " He acknowledged Lautaro Martinez as a talented player and wished him well.
This victory propelled Napoli back to the top of Serie A standings. The match highlighted ongoing tensions between both teams’ management styles and approaches to handling post-match discussions.
