Antonio Conte set to become Napoli head coach on a three-year contract

Sachin Bhat09:16 PM 27th April 2024

Antonio Conte set to become Napoli head coach after last spell at Tottenham

Former Juventus and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is set to become the next permanent manager of Napoli after they agreed to a three-year contract. The Italian is all set to return to management for the first time since March 2023, when he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur following a poor run of form.

The move also marks Conte’s return to Serie A, a competition he knows all too well. Juventus won three Scudettos under him in as many years before he guided Inter Milan to the title in 2021, ironically ending Juve’s nine-year run as Italian top-flight champions. Napoli, who won the league title last year for the first time since 1990, will be relying on Conte to work his magic with them too as the Partenopei aim to rebuild themselves from a disastrous title defense.

With just 49 points and 13 wins from 33 games, the Naples outfit relinquished their crown in utterly limp fashion. The club has also seen two managerial changes during the campaign, with Rudi Garcia getting the boot in November followed by his replacement Walter Mazzarri in February. Things have barely improved even under Francesco Calzona, who has overseen only three wins in nine games.

Conte’s arrival could mark the harbinger of good things for Napoli as the Italian has a massive rebuilding job ahead of him. His exceptional managerial record extends beyond Serie A, though, with the 54-year-old also guiding Chelsea to the Premier League and FA Cup titles during his time there.

Napoli to miss out on European football

So disastrous has been their form this season that Napoli could miss out on European football altogether for the 2024-25 campaign. Sitting in eighth position, the Partenopei are 13 points adrift of fourth-placed Bologna and nine behind fifth-placed AS Roma with only five games remaining. Not only must they win all their remaining matches, but also hope that teams residing above them slip up big time, which seems unlikely at this point.

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