Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku is full of admiration for Antonio Conte and his way of creating a ‘partnership between players’, which he considers one of his coach’s biggest strengths.
The Belgian striker joined the Partenopei on a specific request of the Italian tactician, who had already persuaded Inter to sign him during his stint at the Stadio San Siro.
Since their first experience together, Conte proved particularly good at helping Lukaku express his full potential, and the 31-year-old explained that the manager’s ability to shape a ‘united team’ is what makes him special and sets him apart from other coaches.
Lukaku explains Conte’s secret: ‘Mourinho and Ancelotti do it too’
As reported by Tuttosport, Lukaku revealed details of his first meeting with Conte at Inter in an interview with podcast Friendsofsports.
“He said straight to my face: ‘Listen to me, in my playing system, you can’t keep the ball too long, you have to give it back immediately, you don’t have to play like Lautaro,” Lukaku said.
“From that moment on, Lautaro and I knew that we were supposed to pass the ball to each other and that our qualities perfectly combined.
“Now it’s the same with [Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia. This is what Conte can do: he creates a kind of partnership between players. The same happens with McTominay.
“The beautiful thing about him is that he’s really the right one, I think the way he coaches is great. The way he blends the team.
“Guardiola also does it, and Klopp, Mourinho and Ancelotti do it too. They are great managers. If you look at winning teams, there’s always a coach who has a good tactical plan but, above all, can create a united team.”
Lukaku is once again looking in fine form under Conte at Napoli, as he scored three goals from his first five outings with the Partenopei, propelling them to the top of the Serie A table.
Napoli signed the Belgian striker in the closing stages of the summer transfer market for €30m plus €15m in add-ons at the end of lengthy negotiations with Chelsea.