Serie A champions Napoli facing 'most difficult season', claims Conte

Antonio Conte feels that Napoli are facing their "most difficult season" as they aim to defend their Serie A crown.

Napoli beat Genoa 2-1 on Sunday, making it five wins from six in Serie A this term.

Rasmus Hojlund continued his impressive goalscoring form to seal a comeback triumph at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

It saw Napoli, who went down 2-1 to AC Milan last week, return to winning ways, but Conte warned his team to expect a hugely difficult campaign as they battle on multiple fronts.

"We are travelling down a completely unknown path," Conte told DAZN, as reported by Football Italia.

"As I keep saying, this will be the most difficult season for us because we have to play in the Champions League, and last year we didn't play any other competition, not even a small cup.

"I didn't have a squad that was properly structured to handle these commitments.

"Compared to other teams, which are already well tested and well-structured, with a well-oiled mechanism that has steadily improved over the years, we found ourselves facing a totally new situation with a group of players who, as I keep repeating, last year had a very limited squad."

Conte got his wish for significant reinforcements in the summer, but the former Inter and Juventus coach insisted his new signings still need time to gel.

"When you bring in nine new players, it means that time and patience are needed," Conte added.

"Also, many of them are perhaps not ready yet. They still need to get up to speed and fit into certain dynamics... I repeat, this will be a complex season.

"At the same time, we must have the spirit to face it because I'm convinced this season will serve as a foundation for the future. We are building from scratch. There were no foundations before."

Napoli take on Torino in their next league outing after the international break.