Napoli have announced the appointment of former Serie A winning coach Antonio Conte as their new manager. The former Juventus boss has signed a three-year deal that would keep him at the club until 2027. The deal is reportedly worth eight million euros ($8.7 million) per season.
The 54-year-old left Tottenham in March 2023 after mutual consent and has not managed since. Conte last managed in Italy in 2021 when he guided Inter Milan to a Scudetto after an 11-year wait. He also guided Juventus to three league titles in a row between 2011-2014. He also won the Premier League title in 2017 with Chelsea.
“Napoli is a place of global importance. I am happy and excited at the idea of sitting on the blue bench. I can certainly promise one thing, I will do my utmost for the growth of the team and the club. My commitment, together with that of my staff, it will be total” Conte said.
Napoli won their first Scudetto in 33 years last season but have had a miserable time trying to defend that title this season.
They finished a lowly tenth in the league which led to the sacking of manager Walter Mazzarri after just three months in charge. They then signed a short-term deal with Slovakian boss Francesco Calzona until the end of the season. Conte was linked with clubs like Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and former club Chelsea but has now completed a return to management with Napoli.
Conte would look to keep his Tottenham disappointment behind him after falling out with the club following 3-3 draw against relegation-bound Southampton. Conte then unleashed at Tottenham owners and players in a furious press conference in which he questioned the mentality of the club.
“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart” Conte said.
Conte now has a chance to rebuild his reputation at Napoli as he looks to bring the Scudetto back to Naples.
“We can’t put our head in the sand,” Conte said about Napoli’s last season. “We can’t compete with the usual leaders in terms of salaries. But we can compete in terms of building a solid foundation and work ethic. Under that aspect, nobody should beat us.
The 54-year-old has a big task in hand and will look to bring Napoli back to the top end of the table. He will want to make some additions to the squad which would be necessary to bridge the gap to front runners.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
