Conte Makes History with Napoli

Antonio Conte reserved a page in the history books of Italian football this Friday. Never before had a manager won three Scudetti with three different teams, and very few have demonstrated the ability of the Lecce-born coach to overcome obstacles. He achieved it with Juventus, which recovered from Calciopoli, with a disoriented Chelsea, with Inter, and now with Napoli, which secured the title after defeating Cagliari (2-0) and returns to reign in Italy shortly after bidding farewell to heroes like Osimhen or Kvaratskhelia. The Partenopei are champions and, as always, they do it against the odds.

Few expected Napoli to rise amidst chaos. It's not surprising after the 3-0 defeat against Verona in the season opener. The context suggested a decline following Osimhen's departure through the back door, with Aurelio De Laurentiis having disagreements with Conte and Kvaratskhelia being showcased, all set for a carnage that was supposed to destroy the memories of the team that lifted the title in 2023. That Luciano Spalletti-led side ended a 33-year drought without winning Serie A and endowed the club and the city with a winning spirit that had long been buried, like the ruins of Pompeii beneath Vesuvius, located just 25 kilometres from the Diego Armando Maradona stadium.

That spirit is what allowed Conte to rebuild a team that seemed to hit rock bottom last year with Francesco Calzona. Napoli finished tenth, and winning the title seemed a pipe dream. Never before had a team made such a comeback, but the man from Lecce arrived and shook the club's foundations. He naturally accepted that the Osimhen cycle had ended and called for a revolution that brought in two players who would become decisive. One was McTominay, from Manchester United, and the other a battle-hardened soldier like Lukaku, a footballer who transforms under Conte and unleashes all the potential that made him one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe.

They were the face of a new Napoli. Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Billy Gilmour, and Spinazzola also arrived, players who fit Conte's idea, who knows every corner of Serie A perfectly. The chosen system was a hybrid between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, a structure capable of varying according to the script's demands and which, in no case, weakened the solidity that has been the champion's great quality. Napoli has conceded only 27 goals, a strength that has outweighed the offensive qualities of other teams like Inter, Atalanta, or Lazio, teams that have scored more goals than Conte's side.

Napoli has been champion with countless key figures. In defence, Amir Rrahmani and Giovanni Di Lorenzo have contributed their experience, and in midfield, two pillars have emerged: Anguissa and McTominay. The former has been a jack-of-all-trades, and the latter has scored 12 goals, six of them in the last seven matches. Upfront, the man has been Lukaku, whose life changes when Conte is on the sidelines. The embrace between the two after securing the title, with tears included, is one of the images of the year in Serie A and the best summary of a career full of ups and downs like the Belgian striker's. This time he had to fill part of the void left by Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, and he did it with hard work, 14 goals, 10 assists, and the goal that sealed the title after a historic run.

Naples once again threw itself into supporting the team, and the classic images surrounding the atmosphere of the Diego Armando Maradona stadium could be seen. There were fireworks at the Cagliari hotel the night before, Opus's 'Live is life' during the warm-up, Ricchi e Poveri's 'Será porque te amo' during the celebration, and fireworks at the end of the match. All of this with a collective hysteria that can only be experienced in Naples. And that's already four Scudetti. Two with Maradona on the pitch and two more with Maradona as a witness, sculpted in a statue whose ball is, due to the artist's error, on the right foot. That's Napoli, a club that shines despite its imperfections.