Napoli qualified for the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia after a tough victory on penalties against Cagliari, in a match that ended 1-1 in regular time, following a game that saw significant struggles for the southern team.

In the post-match press conference, coach Antonio Conte said: "It was an endless penalty shootout, we faced the same situation last season, but it was harder this time because everyone took excellent penalties and it was tough on the goalkeepers."

He added: "In the end, the team that deserved to qualify is the one that advanced to the next round."

Conte continued discussing the equalizing goal: "It is unfortunate that we conceded due to an unlucky rebound from Mattumaini, but I saw a good reaction from the players."

He went on: "We know that options are limited at the moment, but we have to keep going and work with what we have."

The coach also touched on the matter of resting some players, saying: "Sometimes you have to make certain decisions, as we did against Lazio, and it was important to see some players from the start. We play every three days, and the team cannot rely on the same names all the time. I am very happy with what the players delivered."

Conte commented on the performance of Lorenzo Lucca, who scored Napoli’s only goal, saying: "His performance was like that of the other players, and he has to keep working hard to improve himself and become an important option for the team."