Conte appointed as Osimhen’s new coach at Napoli

Former Serie A champions Napoli have officially announced the appointment of Antonio Conte as Victor Osimhen’s new coach, aiming to restore the club to its former glory.

The former Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Tottenham Hotspur manager has agreed to a three-year contract with Napoli, set to begin this summer.

Conte’s experience and tactical acumen could be vital for stabilising Partenopei and retaining key players, despite the likely sale of star forward Osimhen.

Conte, 54, will take over from Francesco Calzona, who served as interim head coach after Walter Mazzarri was sacked in February.

The Italian tactician had been out of work for a little over a year following his departure from Tottenham in March 2023, where he faced various personal challenges that impacted his performance in the Premier League.

Mazzarri was appointed in November to replace Rudi Garcia, but couldn’t change the fortunes of the 2022/23 Serie A champions, who had a disappointing title defense and finished tenth, 41 points behind the champions, Inter Milan.

Eager to return to Serie A, Conte was linked with several top jobs, including those at Milan and Juventus, before embarking on a new project with Napoli. The club, which struggled after their Scudetto success in the 2022/23 season, will now look to Conte to guide them back to the top.

Napoli officially announced Conte’s appointment today, revealing that he signed a contract lasting until June 2027, with no release or exit clauses.

Conte expressed his excitement about the move, stating,

“Napoli is a place of global importance. I’m happy and excited sitting on the Azzurri bench. I can certainly promise one thing: I will do my utmost for the growth of the team and the club. My commitment, together with my staff, will be total.”

Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis also commented on Conte’s appointment:

“I’m very proud that the new coach of Napoli is Antonio Conte. Antonio is a top coach, a leader, with whom I’m sure that the necessary foundation can begin after the conclusion of the cycle that led us to win the Scudetto last year after many seasons at the top of Italian football. Today, an important new chapter in the history of Napoli opens.”

Napoli faced a difficult 2023/24 season, going through three managers—Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri, and Francesco Calzona—after winning the Serie A title under Luciano Spalletti the previous year.

Conte, with his impressive pedigree of winning the Serie A title four times (three with Juventus and once with Inter Milan) and the Premier League title with Chelsea in the 2016/17 season, brings high hopes to the Partenopei.

Conte, who has also managed the Italy national team, is now set to begin his journey with Napoli, aiming to lead them to new heights in the coming seasons.