Prolific yet controversial manager Antonio Conte and Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis joining hands can be described as anything but a match made in heaven. While Conte is very vocal when dissatisfied, going to the extent of resigning, De Laurentiis can be demanding and extremely eccentric. However, after trying out three managers in the 2023/24 season and eventually finishing 10th, it came down to an unlikely union between Conte and De Laurentiis.
The ex-Chelsea manager openly expressed apprehensions over Napoli's squad balance, considering the 10th-placed finish just after winning the league. However, De Laurentiis opted to play hardball over the sale of striker Victor Osimhen, delaying potential signings.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Conte had to wait until the last few days of the summer transfer window for the arrival of Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay, and Billy Gilmour, who had been largely written off by the masses. While Lukaku and McTominay had become the subject of ridicule, with the latter especially mocked at Manchester United, Chelsea had opted to let go of Gilmour. Fans termed the trio as Premier League rejects, raising questions over the squad's overall quality as well.
However, Conte lived up to his reputation of being a miracle man once again, empowering the players by making them "suffer." “Sometimes people need to use their brains and say, ‘These guys are really scraping the bottom of the barrel and still out there fighting. Damn it, do you expect not to suffer?’" said the Napoli manager. "Conte demands a lot from every player. He can reprimand you too. Conte's training sessions are the toughest I've done," shared Neres.
The hard work on the training ground certainly paid rich dividends, as the same team that "melted like snow" in Napoli's first match, as described by Conte, began dominating. While the team's momentum did suffer a jolt following the exit of star player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the winter window, the Italian manager ensured the ship remained afloat with shrewd tactical changes.
"Conte changed his system from a back-three formation to a back-four line. While Conte is usually very organised with mid-level pressure and even a low zonal approach, Napoli are also very aggressive with the ball now. He almost burns out the players, but I don't see it as a negative. Conte is demanding because he has a vision," said European football coach Albin Sheqiri during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.
While Napoli's rapid rise certainly raised eyebrows, what especially grabbed the limelight was the manner in which McTominay and Lukaku stood out as absolute match-winners. Lukaku rediscovered his Midas touch, emerging as the team's top scorer in Serie A 2024/25 with 14 goals and 10 assists. "Conte brought out the best from all these rejected players, infusing in them the importance of a great attitude to be competitive. Napoli emerged as a compact team capable of weathering the strongest of storms," reacted ex-East Bengal head coach Mario Rivera.
McTominay, who rarely scored at Manchester United, emerged as a reliable campaigner with 12 goals in 34 appearances. The Scottish footballer's performances were so prolific that ex-Napoli striker Paolo Di Canio remarked that he'd arrest United's directors for selling the midfielder.
"Conte used McTominay very well in a box-to-box position where he could support Lukaku, in comparison to playing between number six and eight at United. Lukaku is very good with his target play and also opens up space for other players, which was capitalised upon," said Sheqiri.
While Napoli surged from triumph to triumph, they were evenly matched by rivals Inter Milan. The title race eventually came down to the last gameweek, where Napoli had to avoid defeat at all costs, with Inter hot on their heels. Conte had suffered heartbreak in such situations as a player, and anxiety would definitely have set in after Inter took an early lead against Verona. However, Napoli's talisman McTominay stepped up when it mattered most, scoring the opener with a scissor kick. Lukaku sealed the momentum with a second goal, wrapping up one of football's most inspirational league triumphs. "It was my most unexpected, toughest, and most stimulating league triumph," reacted Conte.
Napoli scripted Serie A history by pulling off a league triumph after finishing 10th in the previous season — a comeback no side has ever achieved — summing up a glorious campaign that will go down fondly in the annals of history.
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