Antonio Conte highlighted Chelsea’s huge spending after his Napoli side were knocked out of the Champions League.
Napoli were on course for a place in the knockout stages as they came from behind to lead Chelsea 2-1 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Enzo Fernandez’s 19th-minute penalty put the Blues ahead but Napoli led at half-time through Antonio Vergara and former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Napoli sat in the play-off spots at that stage but Joao Pedro’s second-half brace sent the Serie A champions crashing out having finished just 30th out of 36 teams.
A ‘disappointed’ Conte felt Napoli ‘deserved much more’ against Chelsea and highlighted the difference in spending between the two clubs after a pain European defeat.
‘For sure it is disappointing,’ the ex-Chelsea manager said. ‘Not for tonight because I think we played an amazing game against Chelsea.
‘Don’t forget we played with only 13 players – the rest were injured. Despite this I think we deserved much more to lose the game.
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‘This is the positive that we continued to work. On the other side there is disappointment.
‘I’m proud, it’s not easy to play Chelsea in this way or to put them in difficulty in this way. Today we deserved much more than to lose the game.’
Conte, who took over Napoli in 2024, added: ‘If you want to have success in this competition, there needs to be a lot of money invested and have not just one team [of players] but two, maybe two-and-a-half. Like Chelsea.
‘If you see tonight the difference between us and them it’s too much, the difference is too much.
‘We have to do our best and we did but you know in the Champions League there is often the same winners.’
While Napoli were eliminated, Chelsea not only progressed but went straight through to the knockout stages, avoiding the play-offs.
‘I thought the character of the players, their resilience in the second half and their reaction to going behind was so positive,’ said Rosenior after Chelsea secured a sixth-place finish.
‘I wanted to go aggressive in the first half – we had win back moments in their half, but the gaps were too big, so we corrected it at half-time.
‘It was a magnificent performance from Joao [Pedro]. He has given me that since I have come to the club.
‘For the lads to come from behind and show their character makes me very happy head coach. I’m learning all the time about my team, about what we’re capable of.’
Chelsea player of the match Pedro added: ‘The coach said [at half-time] to try to be calm, and to try put our game on the pitch.
‘The second half of the game was more open. Cole [Palmer] is a brilliant player when he is on the pitch – he is a special player.
‘It is very positive for us because people have a lot of doubt about us. I think today we showed our power. We need to rest and now focus on the Premier League.’
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