Restless Napoli Newcomer Complains About Conte Treatment

Noa Lang took advantage of the trip back to his old stomping ground in Eindhoven to vent about the lack of opportunities he has experienced since joining Napoli. The winger, who joined in a €25M move, has logged just over 100 minutes through 4 appearances off the bench.

He spoke to Ziggo Sport (via Sky).

“It’s better if I don’t say anything. I think that all footballers want to play, and I don’t know what more I can do, as I’m practicing hard. There’s no other choice but to bite my tongue a little. I’ve signed a contract and must accept this situation. There are no other options. I don’t speak with the coach a lot. We have done it just once.”

Napoli boss Antonio Conte had a diplomatic answer when asked about Lang by the same publication.

“He’ll be a starter soon. He’s improving. We have to think about the whole team and not single players. He has to work, and when I decide to field him, I will.”

According to Fabrizio Romano (via SOSFanta), the winger is clearly unhappy, as he needs to feel involved to perform well. He and the coach haven’t clicked for now, but it’s early. There are two months to go before the next window. The parties aren’t contemplating that solution for now, even though his camp is starting to get a little worried.

Our Take on Napoli and Lang

He’s paying the price for their overall problems, as they are having defensive issues even though they are using a sturdy formation on paper. Plus, Matteo Politano has been excellent. He might have further hurt his chances, as this kind of behavior usually doesn’t fly in a Conte-led locker room.