Antonio Conte has officially been named the next head coach of Serie A side Napoli. The manager joins the Italian side after signing a three-year contract with the club. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis had been negotiating with Conte regarding the move for weeks now.
It was previously reported that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss was looking to become Serie A‘s highest-paid manager in the deal. Conte also apparently preferred including a specific departure clause in the contract as well. This stipulation would have allowed the coach to leave after each season without paying any penalties. Nevertheless, the clause was reportedly not part of the agreement.
“Napoli is a club of huge importance on the international stage,” Conte proclaimed after signing the deal. “I’m happy and excited by the idea of taking my seat in the Napoli dugout. I can certainly promise one thing: I’ll give my all to develop the team and the club. I’m fully committed to the task at hand, as are my staff.”
Conte brings winning experience to Napoli with Serie A success
Signing Conte is a fairly significant coup for De Laurentiis. The Italian is one of the top coaches in all of Europe. Despite collecting the Serie A title in 2022, Napoli faltered in the most recent campaign. The club had three different head coaches on the season and ultimately finished 10th in the top-flight table.
As a result of their disappointing year, Napoli will not feature in a European tournament next season. This is even though Italy will have eight total teams playing across the three continental competitions. Italy currently has the highest UEFA coefficient ranking and will have five clubs in the 2024/25 Champions League.
While Napoli’s focus for the upcoming season will only be domestic, their expectations will be high. Conte brings a high level of belief and confidence to the club. Although the Italian failed to win a trophy with Spurs, he has an impressive track record in the last decade or so. He previously collected league titles with Juventus, Chelsea, and Inter Milan before the setback in north London.
Summer transfer period to help determine club’s 2024/25 expectations
Taking a team that finished mid-table to the scudetto is certainly a tough task. Napoli is just one year removed from collecting its first Serie A title in 33 years. However, the squad may look drastically different compared to recent seasons. Star striker Victor Osimhen is likely to depart the club at some point during the summer transfer window. Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have links with the forward.
Reports suggest Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is unhappy at the club. The winger has been in negotiations with Napoli brass regarding a new contract. While the discussions have not yet materialized, Conte wants to keep hold of the Georgia international.
It remains unclear if the new manager can persuade Kvara to remain with Napoli. Nevertheless, the summer transfer market could very well help determine what kind of 2024/25 season Conte and Napoli will have. If they were to lose their top two attackers, Gli Azzurri would have to quickly reinvest into the squad to challenge for the Serie A title.
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