Rome, 17 May (LaPresse) – "My future? The chairman knows where I stand, but not just since today. They’re already working on the future; we’ll wait for the final match and then discuss with the owners what has been decided. It’s been a month since I made my intentions clear, but now we must focus on the match against Udinese. It would be disrespectful to the president and our friendship if I were to reveal anything now.” So said Antonio Conte, Napoli’s manager, to DAZN after the 3-0 win in Pisa that secured the Neapolitans’ place in next season’s Champions League. "On the day of my first interview in Dimaro, I made it clear: I was expecting a difficult season. That’s one of the reasons I decided to stay. Many players have arrived, given that last season’s squad was thin on the ground. I couldn’t have foreseen all these serious injuries. We’re not talking about niggles, but four- to five-month lay-offs that are down to neither this nor that. I’ve had to deal with unforeseeable obstacles,” emphasises the Lecce-born manager, who then takes stock of the season: “I must congratulate the players; especially those who stayed injury-free managed to give us a huge helping hand. We’ve remained near the top of the table, we’ve qualified for the Champions League, and that’s an achievement that’s far from a foregone conclusion. I’d like to spare a thought for the fans in the stands. No one has emphasised enough that we won a Super Cup, competing against Bologna, Inter and Milan. The two-year journey has been significant, despite the regret over that match in Copenhagen. A comeback made possible in part by the many injuries. Some have portrayed us as a disaster, but you can always grow from every situation. We’re still in the running; we’ve achieved the objective that allows Napoli to remain competitive for the future. We’re up against many top clubs and we know that the difficulties of winning in Naples are nothing like those faced elsewhere.”