Naples: Antonio Conte is transforming Napoli and Romelu Lukaku

Since the historic Scudetto, water has flowed under the Neapolitan bridges and after the rain always comes good weather. We had to be patient but the arrival of Antonio Conte is changing everything. While last season was very eventful with three coaches on the bench in just 9 months (Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri, Francesco Calzona). Without qualifying for a European competition, Napoli is enjoying a less tiring season with only the championship and the cup to compete for, which poses no problem for Antonio Conte, determined to use this year 0 to lay the foundations of his project and recruitment followed this logic: reinforce the leaders, add youth and find the appropriate complements around Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

After the victory against Como (3-1) at home, Antonio Conte did not hide his joy at seeing his troops retain first position, while the international break is fast approaching: “We take this first place in the ranking with joy. Player development is essential. The answers they give me when they take the field, like tonight, really leave me satisfied. We want to continue on this path, improving every day and maintaining high competitiveness within the team“, explained the Italian coach. Symbol of a project which is finding beautiful colors, Antonio Conte alternates between his traditional 3-5-2 system and a more compact 4-2-3-1, which immediately makes his team more dominant and unpredictable.

A return to the summits of Italy

After seven days, Napoli has 16 points and thus occupies 1st position in Serie A. Last weekend, the players celebrated a small milestone. It was in fact the first time since the 38th day of the 2022/2023 season, when the Partenopei had pocketed the Scudetto under Luciano Spalletti, that the Campania club finished a day in first position. “With the boys, we said to ourselves that we could go until the break while maintaining a position in the standings that no one could have imagined at the start. A few games have passed, but we scored 16 points which will be useful for our goals. Playing in Naples, at Maradona, with a full stadium, means that those who play feel the fervor of the public“, declared the Italian coach who is maximizing the potential of his entire team starting with the recruits. Moreover, all the summer reinforcements are having a great start to the season. From Alessandro Buongiorno in defense to David Neres and Scott McTominay, Napoli have done well this summer.

This was one of Antonio Conte’s priority requests upon his arrival. While the Neapolitan management was looking for a base for Victor Osimhen, another goalscorer set down his bags in Campania and it was none other than Romelu Lukaku, Conte’s true favorite and protégé. And the reunion between the two men borders on perfection. The Belgian striker is enjoying himself again, after recent more complicated seasons and has a total of 3 goals and 4 assists: “You see that you represent an entire city and its inhabitants. It’s fantastic to experience. It gives you the energy to give your best every day. When you see the players, the physiotherapists, the waiters and everyone who works here, they are all real Neapolitans who love the club. It feels good, but there is also a great responsibility to give your best“, clarified Lukaku. In his first five appearances for Napoli, Romelu Lukaku is the player involved in the most goals since the return of the 20-team Serie A championship 20 years ago.