Champions Napoli must learn from disastrous title defence, says Conte
Napoli endured a turbulent 2023-24 campaign, finishing 10th and going through three managers after coach Luciano Spalletti left the club. Spalletti had led them to their first Scudetto title in 33 years in the 2022-23 season.
Conte, who won three Serie A titles as manager of Juventus and one at Inter Milan along with a Premier League trophy with Chelsea, was handed the responsibility of reviving Napoli in June last year and promptly won them the Scudetto in the recently concluded season.
"By definition, those who have the Scudetto on their jersey are favourites or among the favourites. We must not shy away or hide out of fear," Conte told reporters on Friday.
"We have worked hard to tailor ourselves. It is inevitable that this year will be very challenging.
"But there is a very recent past that we must never forget. We must learn lessons even from negative things. What happened two years ago must be a lesson, especially to the environment. We are on the field and we work, there will never be any flights of fancy. We will be very humble."
Napoli have strengthened their title-winning squad with the addition of Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Dutch winger Noa Lang and Italian centre back Luca Marianucci, among others.
De Bruyne, regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, lifted 19 trophies at Manchester City since his 2015 move from German side VfL Wolfsburg — a haul that includes six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.
Conte hopes the 34-year-old can help Napoli take that extra step.
"He comes to us to take on a new challenge, it is a different situation for him too: he has already reached very high levels in his career and has a lot more to give to football," Conte added.
Napoli begin their pre-season with a friendly match against Arezzo on Tuesday. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Amid exit rumours, former Spurs and Dortmund defender Lee Young-pyo urges Son Heung-min to chase happiness
Former Borussia Dortmund defender Lee Young-pyo (left) believes that Spurs captain Son Heung-min (right) can still perform in the English Premier League. SINGAPORE – Former Tottenham and Dortmund left-back Lee Young-pyo has urged his compatriot Son Heung-min to follow his heart when deciding on his future, adding that the Spurs captain must be certain of regular playing time if he chooses to remain with the Europa League champions. The 33-year-old Son, who led them to Europa League glory last season – his first silverware in 10 years at the club – has less than 12 months left on his contract, with no indication that a new contract is imminent. With Spurs unlikely to let their club's marquee player leave for free, the uncertainty has led to exit rumours , with clubs in the Saudi Pro League reported to be keen. The 48-year-old Lee ,who made over 90 appearances for Spurs from 2005 to 2008, told The Straits Times in an interview: 'In my opinion the most important thing is the player's happiness. 'When it is the last chapter of a football career, a footballer needs to make sure that he is happy. And the most happiness is what you get from playing. If he wants to enjoy and be happy, then the most important thing is to know where he can get that playing time.' 'I think the most important thing is what Son feels in his heart. He is at an age where he would be planning for retirement. I hope that wherever he decides to play, he can end his career well.' New Spurs coach Thomas Frank – who replaced Ange Postecoglou in June – added to the uncertainty around Son's future during the former's official presentation on July 18. The Dane said that he is yet to decide whether Son will remain as captain, while also refusing to confirm if the player would stay beyond the end of the summer transfer window. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore Life US tech CEO Andy Byron resigns after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video Asia From toy to threat: 'Killer kites' bring chaos to Indonesian airspace Opinion I thought I was a 'chill' parent. Then came P1 registration Singapore 'God and government are the only things beyond our control,' says Group CEO Business Me and My Money: He overcomes a $100k setback to build a thriving online tuition business Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay Since joining Tottenham Hotspur from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, Son has delivered on countless occasions for Spurs but his form dipped in the past season, scoring just seven goals in 30 Premier League outings – his lowest single season tally since his first season in England. Lee believes that Son can still perform in the English Premier League and talked up his impact in England and Europe. He added that his compatriot has surpassed the legacy of former Manchester United midfielder and South Korea captain Park Ji-Sung, who is regarded by many as one of the greatest and most successful Asian players in history. After signing for the Red Devils in 2005, Park won four Premier League titles and became the first Asian player to play in a Champions League final, when the Red Devils lost to Barcelona on penalties in 2009. He left Old Trafford in 2012 before retiring from football two years later. 'Not many people ever thought that an Asian player can become the top scorer in the Premier League. He has helped to change the perception of Asian football and because of him more players have had chances to play in Europe,' said Lee of Son's golden-boot winning season in 2021–22, when he finished joint top scorer alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah with 23 goals. 'I believe he is one of the greatest inspirations and hopes for many Asian players. He has been a very good example. In our time, Park was the biggest, best Asian player and I believe now Son has that title.' Besides Spurs, Lee also had a spell at Dortmund from 2008 to 2009. His former side closed out the domestic season with an eight-match unbeaten run that included five straight wins to score the fourth and final Uefa Champions League place. Lee expects them to pick up where they left off in the new campaign under Niko Kovac, who was appointed in January after the sacking of former coach Nuri Sahin. Kovac has led the team to 15 victories in 25 matches and the Black and Yellow made a run to the quarter-finals of the recently concluded Club World Cup, where they were eliminated by Real Madrid. 'After the end of the last season, I think they can continue to carry forward the momentum. Overall, last season was not perfect but I think we can do better in the new one,' said Lee. While fans will need to wait till Aug 24 to catch Dortmund's Bundesliga opening fixture against FC St. Pauli, they can catch a host of former Dortmund players, including Lee, who will be in action during the July 25-27 Soccer7sSeries. The tournament will feature seven-a-side men's open, women's and over-35 masters categories at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Lee's team includes legends Roman Weidenfeller, Patrick Owomoyela, Kevin Grosskreutz, Dede, Mladen Petric, Jan Koller, Omer Toprak and Park Joo-ho. They are one of 10 teams in the Masters categories. In Group A are Leicester City Masters, Corinthians Masters, Persib Masters, Real Singapura FC, and Cosmo Masters while BVB are alongside the 'All Stars', Forest Reds (Nottingham Forest), Singapore FC Masters, and Singa Legends in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals. Lee is looking forward to the tournament and vowed to be competitive. He said: 'After retiring from playing, there are times when I miss playing football. I am excited to be back on the pitch with the players after a long time. I have not played football too many times since retiring but last few weeks I have been training so...I am ready to play.'
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
De Bruyne embracing fresh start at Napoli after Man City departure
Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is raring to go at Serie A champions Napoli after not being offered a contract extension by Manchester City, and said linking up with compatriot Romelu Lukaku was part of the appeal. Regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, De Bruyne ended a glittering decade-long spell at City at the end of last season and joined Napoli on a free transfer last month. "I have been in the Premier League for so long and in the end I made the decision to go out of England," De Bruyne told reporters on Saturday. "I have done what I have done and in the end I am a Man City player for life. It was also with the way that it ended for me, I thought, it is time to find a new challenge. "When I had the whole project in front of me and then the fact that I could play in Italy and still play at a high level was exciting for me." De Bruyne, who turned 34 last month, said he had much to learn in Italy, but with Belgium teammate and polyglot Romelu Lukaku by his side, the learning curve looks far less steep as he adjusts to Antonio Conte's side. "Napoli already are champions but they are still improving their squad... I am hoping that I can help the team grow and I will also learn from them, a new way of playing, a new competition," De Bruyne said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore "Romelu was happy (about the move), I spoke with him in the national team (camp), he wanted me to join. I know Romelu since we were 13-years-old, so we are really tight together. When we played in Chelsea we lived together for two or three months. "It makes it a little bit easier that I know him because he is somebody who can translate for me and it helps because he knows the coach, he knows the team." Napoli begin their 2025–26 Serie A campaign on August 13 with a trip to Sassuolo. REUTERS
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
De Bruyne embracing fresh start at Napoli after Man City departure
Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is raring to go at Serie A champions Napoli after not being offered a contract extension by Manchester City, and said linking up with compatriot Romelu Lukaku was part of the appeal. Regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, De Bruyne ended a glittering decade-long spell at City at the end of last season and joined Napoli on a free transfer last month. "I have been in the Premier League for so long and in the end I made the decision to go out of England," De Bruyne told reporters on Saturday. "I have done what I have done and in the end I am a Man City player for life. It was also with the way that it ended for me, I thought, it is time to find a new challenge. "When I had the whole project in front of me and then the fact that I could play in Italy and still play at a high level was exciting for me." De Bruyne, who turned 34 last month, said he had much to learn in Italy, but with Belgium teammate and polyglot Romelu Lukaku by his side, the learning curve looks far less steep as he adjusts to Antonio Conte's side. "Napoli already are champions but they are still improving their squad... I am hoping that I can help the team grow and I will also learn from them, a new way of playing, a new competition," De Bruyne said. "Romelu was happy (about the move), I spoke with him in the national team (camp), he wanted me to join. I know Romelu since we were 13-years-old, so we are really tight together. When we played in Chelsea we lived together for two or three months. "It makes it a little bit easier that I know him because he is somebody who can translate for me and it helps because he knows the coach, he knows the team." Napoli begin their 2025–26 Serie A campaign on August 13 with a trip to Sassuolo.
