Why Antonio Conte is the perfect manager for Napoli

After weeks of speculation, former Inter Milan and Juventus coach Antonio Conte has been announced as the new coach of former Serie A champions Napoli.

The eccentric Italian joins Napoli on a three-year deal, ending his over one-year absence from the dugout when he left Tottenham by mutual consent. 

Conte is Napoli's fourth managerial appointment since they won the Scudetto, and he walks into a once proud house that has fallen in tatters.

Luciano Spaletti led the Partenopei to their first title in over 30 years last season, immortalising himself in the club's history, as he was able to achieve something that the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Mauricio Sarri couldn't achieve in Naples.

But since Spalletti’s bitter exit, Napoli has fallen like a pack of cards. The Serie A side went from winning the title by 90 points with a wide 16-point lead over their closest challenger to finishing in 10th position, with a whopping 41-point gap between them and the champions Inter Milan in one year.

Not many teams have suffered such a drastic downfall a year after winning the title as Napoli did this season. Their poor form resulted in several managerial changes, starting with Rudi Garcia, who was hired to replace Luciano Spaletti at the beginning of this season.

Gracia lasted just 136 days on the job, and he was replaced by Walter Mazzarri, who also spent less than four months on the job before being sacked. 

Francesco Calzona was the last person Napoli employed to remedy the situation, but even the current Slovakia boss could not oversee a change in fortune. In fact, Napoli got worse under his tutelage, as he averaged fewer points per game than his predecessors.

Restoring Napoli 

So, their target is to rebuild and return to their previous levels. The Naples-based club has been through several highs and lows, with the finish in 2024 being one of their lowest points in recent history.

They were one of the best teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Diego Maradona created magic in Naples. 

But they fell apart years after the Argentinean legend left the club. However, have been on the rise since the 2009/10 season when they finished in 13th position.

Since then, Gli Azzurri has finished outside the top six just two times. However, last season was their worst in those 15 years, with a record of 52 points.

So, despite recently being crowned champions, Napoli are back to rebuilding. They want a coach who is an expert in such matters, and club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has already indicated that this is part of the qualifications for the type of manager Napoli would hire.

Several names were on Napoli's shortlist for the job, including Serie A coaches Stefano Piolli and Gian Piero Gasparini. But in the end, De Laurentiis chose Antonio Conte, who had been on the club's shortlist since they parted ways with Luciano Spaletti last season.

Why is Conte the perfect fit?

After getting his man, De Laurentiis said of the former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan man, “Antonio is a top coach, a leader.” 

The Napoli owner’s declaration is exactly why Conte is the best man for the Napoli job.

The 54-year-old is a serial winner who has won more Serie A titles than all of the current coaches in Serie A combined. 

The Italian has won seven major trophies throughout his coaching career. The former Juventus midfielder has won trophies in all the clubs he managed except during his short reign in Atalanta and his most recent gig at Tottenham.

The remarkable thing about most of the titles he won is that Conte won them when the clubs were not expected to. 

The man has forged a reputation for rebuilding and recreating old ruins, and he looks set to do so at Naples.

His first real management job was in 2007 when he was appointed Bari coach for the second half of their 2007–08 Serie B campaign. The club was teetering in the lower parts of the table when they hired Conte. 

But he oversaw a considerable upturn in performance and result, leading the club out of the relegation battle and pushing them to mid-table. 

The following season, 2008–09, Conte’s Bari were crowned Serie B champions, and they were promoted to Serie A for the 2009–10 season. 

That Serie B title was Conte's first major honour as a manager and showed he was destined for the top.

The next club where he worked his magic was Siena, which he led from Serie B to Serie A in one season. 

From Siena, Conte became Juventus boss, and it was in Turin that he really announced himself. 

Juventus were always a powerhouse in Serie A, but not around when they hired Conte. The Turin club was in a rebuilding phase before Conte’s arrival after they had been relegated due to the Calciopoli scandal. 

Before the Italian manager arrived, Juve had not won a title in seven years. 

They were still recovering from the scandal that pushed them down the Serie A hierarchy and even finished in seventh position before Comte arrived.

But through innovative coaching and sheer tenacity, Conte led the club to the league title in his first season, going unbeaten and becoming the first and only team to achieve such a feat since Serie A expanded to 20 teams and 38 games.

In his three seasons at Turin, Conte's Juve side finished top of the class, making other teams in Italy look average while restoring the Turin side to the top of Serie A football.

After Juve, Conte went to Chelsea and repeated the trick, winning the Premier League and FA Cup titles during his time in London. 

From Stamford Bridge, he went to the San Siro and led Inter Milan to their first title in eleven years. 

There is no doubt that his return to the Serie A will further elevate the league as one of the most competitive in Europe. 

What Conte Offers

Conte is a winner. 

Yet the more impressive thing about Conte is that he's not just about winning–he offers more. 

The 54-year-old Italian brings an insatiable demand and passion that no top coach can rival. 

Conte is a fighter, and if you are going to play for him, you have to fight. His energy and fighting spirit are precisely what Napoli needs now. 

He has standards and will work to restore and maintain it. 

According to legendary Italian coach Fabio Capello, Napoli players looked like they had lost their desire after almost strolling to the title last year.

Conte is the right man to shake up the team and restore its desire. He possesses boundless energy that will empower the already passionate Napoli fans and get the club moving in the same direction.

Already in the city, enthusiasm has exploded, like on July 5, 1984, when Maradona arrived, so we expect the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium to bounce next season.

Conte also comes with entertainment, so we expect the demand for Napoli tickets to soar next season. 

While Conte is almost guaranteed to succeed, hiring him doesn’t come without its risks.

The Salento coach is a man with a big ego and a strong personality. He does not shy away from confrontations and isn’t afraid to go public with his grievances. 

He did it at Juve, Chelsea, Inter and Tottenham when he felt it was needed. 

A decade ago, he resigned from Juve three days into pre-season training after the club lost out on the signing of winger Juan Iturbe to Roma. 

He even fell out with Atalanta ultras and had to tender a resignation when the situation threatened to boil over into his being physically harmed.

Those public outbursts and his tempestuous character have often landed him in trouble with club owners, ultimately pushing him outside clubs' doors. 

So, this begs the question of how Conte and De Laurentiis can work together. The two men have similar temperaments and could start a fight in an empty room, even at the best of times. Their relationship isn't one to readily expect to work.

But it does appear that the Napoli owner and Conte have agreed to terms that will help work together. 

That said, much will depend on how the season starts, especially in the summer. 

Yet signings and goings aside, what remains intriguing is how Conte will set Napoli up next season. 

The 54-year-old’s standard 3-5-2 system won’t work with the current crop of Napoli players, and the thought of Kvaratskhelia being asked to play the left wing-back role is a terrifying one for Napoli fans. 

But we can expect Conte to always find a way around things. The Italian has set himself apart as a top coach who knows when to switch things. He did to good effect at Juventus in 2011/12 and in his first season at Chelsea. We shall see what he does at Napoli next season.