When Antonio Conte rocked up in Naples at the start of the current Serie A season there were plenty of eyebrows raised and the excitement has not yet died down.
After a disastrous defence of their title last term the pre season Serie A 2024 betting odds predicted another tough campaign for Napoli but, after 12 games I Partenopei sits proudly at the top of the league table. Their new manager Conte has returned to football after a one year sabbatical which started when he left Tottenham Hotspur by mutual consent in 2023.
Like Napoli, Conte has had recent success followed by disappointment and both manager and club, while they have nothing to prove, are both desperate to show they can still be top dogs. That motivation will drive Conte on to win at all costs and it can only be good news for the 2023 Scudetto winners.
Napoli played some attracting free-flowing football to win their first title since the days of Diego Maradona, but there has been an adjustment under Conte, with steely focus, inventive football with meticulous organisation. In his coaching career, spanning 18 years, his teams have been characterised by their athleticism, high work-rate and speed of thought and action. Conte came to the attention of world football as a pivotal player for Juventus between 1991 and 2004 and it was in Turin too where he made his name as a manager. Appointed as boss of I Bianconeri in 2011 he brought back the good times after a period in the wilderness for the club and Conte won three Scudettos with Juve, prompting comparisons with the great Marcello Lippi. From Juventus he went on to manage Italy for two years and then Conte cut his teeth in English football, winning a Premier League title with Chelsea.
Conte made a successful return to Serie A, winning the 2021 Scudetto with Inter Milan before heading back to England where he had two frustrating seasons at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Back to 2024 and the SBOTOP odds still back a second Inter Milan triumph in succession; but Napoli are the clear second favourites and, after finishing the 2023/24 campaign a crushing 41 points behind, their fans will certainly take that. But Conte wants to go one better in a season which promises to be one of the most exciting in years. And with a superb set of Serie A 2024 results so far, the Napoli fans are dreaming again.
Conte had work to do as soon as he arrived, as the departures of Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray and Piotr Zielinski to Inter Milan took two big players from the Scudetto winning season out of the club. Striker Osimhen was unhappy for much of last season and his departure was inevitable, but Zielinski had consistently been a huge presence on midfield, with bags of defensive and attacking ability and he was superbly dependable. During the summer the club was also at risk of losing Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and club captain Gio di Lorenzo but the appointment of Conte and investment in the playing staff persuaded both to stay. The headline signing was that of Romelu Lukaku who was reunited with the boss who coached him to the 2021 Scudetto at Inter Milan. After a frustrating couple of years the Belgian striker is enjoying his football again and he has scored four goals in ten appearances.
But arguably the most successful summer recruit was Conte’s replacement for Zielinski, Manchester United’s Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay. £30m is already looking like a canny bit of business as the 27 year old has taken to Italian football in brilliant style, scoring three goals from a central position and putting in some dominant displays. He’s already earned the nickname ‘McTotally’ for his all action performances and total commitment: “I can’t talk enough about the fans, the people, the city and the welcome my team-mates and coaches gave me,” he said.
McTominay scored Napoli’s goal in the big match against Inter Milan last weekend, giving I Partenopei an early lead before Hakan Calhanoglu levelled for the champions. He’s become one of the first names on the Napoli team sheet and the relationship McTominay has immediately built up with the fans is symptomatic of the commitment Conte demands from his players and, while he is a perfectionist, the Napoli boss is famed for his ability to foster unbeatable team spirit.
The Italian press is already talking about Conte bringing the Juventus mentality to Naples, winning at all costs. But there is a joy in what he is doing in Campania and, if Napoli can keep their early season form going 2025 could be another very special year.
It certainly won’t be boring!
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
