SSC Napoli has won the fourth Scudetto in its history. Captain Giovanni di Lorenzo is convinced that this would not have been possible without Antonio Conte. The coach himself looked back on a hard piece of work.
Last summer, the mood in Naples was still gloomy. The season after the third championship had ended in a disappointing tenth place. Antonio Conte was brought in to turn things around. Just under eleven months later, it’s clear that it was the right decision.
Conte, the “phenomenon”
“This team needed him to get back to this level. He’s a phenomenon,” captain Giovanni di Lorenzo praised his coach after winning the club’s fourth Scudetto on DAZN. “Only he could take us to the top in such a short time.”
For the 55-year-old, Napoli is already the fourth club he has led to the league title, after three championships with Juve, one with Chelsea FC, and one with Inter. His sixth league triumph is a very special one for him. “This is certainly the most unexpected and difficult success,” Conte said.
“Everything was in ruins”
The coach arrived in a situation “where everything was in ruins, where we had to try to convince some players to stay because we were convinced that something positive would come of it.” Examples of the difficult starting position were the 0-0 draw in the cup against second division side Modena (4-3 on penalties) and the 0-3 defeat at Hellas Verona at the start of the season. “When I think back on that, it means we have really achieved something incredible.”
The “turning point” of the season was the 1-1 draw against Inter on matchday 27, when Philip Billing saved Napoli in the 87th minute. “If we hadn’t gotten a point, Inter would have run away.” But Napoli stayed within one point. “When Billing scored, I told the guys, ‘If we want it, we can do it.’”
They could. And Conte could. On the last matchday, it was his team that had a one-point lead and therefore something to lose in their home game against Cagliari Calcio. The coach could feel it. “It was difficult to get to the stadium because there were so many people there. The thought crossed my mind that we would carry this with us for a long time if we let these people down.”
His concerns proved unfounded. Scott McTominay, Serie A Player of the Season, put his team ahead with a side-foot shot, and Romelu Lukaku sealed the deal. “The guys were fantastic. There was incredible pressure, but we handled it as best we could.” The team is “exceptional,” with Conte particularly singling out the players who have been there the whole way, from last season’s championship, through a disappointing 10th-place finish, to winning the title again.
The coach himself secured not only the Scudetto but also the Coach of the Season award. His future, however, remains open. He is said to have set clear conditions for staying in Naples, including the signing of some big-name reinforcements in the summer.