Napoli manager Antonio Conte expressed his frustration after his injury-hit side were pushed to the limit before claiming a hard-fought Serie A victory over Fiorentina on Saturday, warning that the relentless fixture schedule is taking a serious toll on players.

The champions are currently battling a mounting injury crisis, with Kevin De Bruyne, David Neres, Billy Gilmour, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Matteo Politano, and Vanja Milinković-Savić all sidelined. Matters worsened when captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was forced off in visible agony against Fiorentina, with early signs suggesting a severe knee injury.

“There’s not much we can say. It’s game upon game upon game. We have to keep using players who should be rested, and yet can’t — it leads to these situations,” Conte told DAZN.

He did not mince words about the toll on players and the sport itself:
“I continue to say playing all these matches kills the players and kills football. If we have to play 60 games per year, we need a bigger squad; otherwise, it’s suicide.”

Conte revealed Di Lorenzo’s injury looked serious.
“The sensation is he’s done serious damage to his knee, possibly the cruciate ligament. It’s nasty,” he added.

The Italian also criticized the broader pressures clubs face in modern football.
“Clubs don’t seem to understand — it’s like a dog chasing its own tail. You fight to qualify for all these tournaments to get more money, but it’s ephemeral. The more competitions you are in, the more players you have to buy, and the higher the wage bill goes,” Conte explained.

Despite the difficulties, the 56-year-old praised his squad’s effort under extreme circumstances.
“We are talking about a team trying to do its best with what we have. Fortunately, we picked up these points, but if the season had started today with this squad, what position do you think Napoli would be challenging for? Be realistic,” he said.

Conte acknowledged the sacrifices and extraordinary performances of his players.
“We are managing to plug the holes because these lads are doing incredible things. Once again, there weren’t many options on the bench. It’s best we wrap this up, or I’ll say something else and get into trouble,” he added.