Napoli manager Antonio Conte had to be restrained during his side’s friendly against Olympiacos on Thursday after he was infuriated by a rough challenge on one of his players.
Conte was far from impressed with Ayoub El Kaabi’s late tackle on Amir Rrahmani which happened just feet away from him.
The Napoli defender was left writhing in pain on the pitch his boss immediately bolted from his technical area onto the pitch.
Conte marched straight towards El Kaabi to let him know what he thought of the challenge as the referee issued a yellow card.
A melee erupted as the Italian continued to remonstrate with the Moroccan forward and the referee, security and coaching staff had to work together to hold him back.
It took some time for things to settle down and ultimately the Serie A side secured a 2-1 victory in their final pre-season encounter.
Napoli boss Antonio Conte (right) was not happy with a challenge Ayoub El Kaabi (left)
Conte had to be held back by officials, security and coaching staff as he raged over the tackle
Conte is coming off the back of a glorious debut season in charge of Gli Azzurri.
The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss helped deliver the league title success after a dramatic final day of the season.
His side saw off Cagliari 2-0 with goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku on the final day to edge out second-placed Inter Milan by one point.
Napoli’s fourth ever title — and their second in three years — prompted wild celebrations on the streets of the southern Italian city as smoke bombs, fireworks, and passionate chants filled the air.
Incredibly there were some doubts over Conte’s future at the club over the summer but those have been put to rest.
The defending champions take on Sassuolo in their season opener on August 23.
The club will be sweating over the fitness of striker Lukaku after he limped off the pitch on Thursday with an apparent thigh injury.
Conte attempted to temper expectations for the upcoming season after the match, highlighting the number of changes to the squad.
The late challenge took place just feet away from the Napoli manager’s technical area
‘All teams who brought in a lot of new players will be a work in progress at this stage,’ said Conte.
‘I am happy with the effort put in by the lads, I received positive responses both from the old group and the six new lads, but it is inevitable that it will take time to get them into the mechanisms and tactical ideas.
‘Balance is essential for all teams. When I say we are a work in progress, I mean also that we are trying different solutions. We did it throughout last season too, a coach must seek alternatives, even if we are working hard on the 4-3-3 formation. Balance is the key to everything.’
‘It’s true we won the title, which was extraordinary and incredible, but now we need to take the second step before we can think about taking the third. At my original press conference, I said I’d be happy to find some stability. Now we are trying to complete a squad that was not capable of being competitive over several different tournaments.’
