CorSport – Napoli 2025 make history, Conte turns crisis around | OneFootball

CorSport – Napoli's 2025 Forcefully Enters History! Conte Finds a Breakthrough Amidst Crisis…

A fairy-tale year. A 2025 that forcefully enters history. Two titles, a championship and an Italian Super Cup, just like Maradona managed to achieve. A journey that began on January 4th with a victory in Florence, signed by Neres, Lukaku, and McTominay, and concluded yesterday with a triumph in Cremona, this time marked by Hojlund. Napoli played 45 matches across 4 competitions, winning 27, drawing 10, and losing only 8. An exhilarating path, a constant growth, a leader on the bench who transformed it into a dominant team. Antonio Conte's work on the Napoli bench is evident to everyone, supported by facts and the trophy cabinet. Everything else is chatter from those who constantly try to find a flaw in him. From those who still manage to say he complained about too many purchases being made, without understanding what he meant months later. But the fate of winners is this, they only manage to divide. You either love them or hate them, there is no third way.

His Napoli is a team that has not yet expressed its full potential. Conte had to deal with a series of serious injuries from the start of the season; from August to December, there was never a match where he had the entire squad available. In Cremona, seven players were missing (Meret, Olivera, Beukema, Anguissa, Gilmour, De Bruyne, and Lukaku), but no one noticed. When the switch is on, no opponent can withstand them, but if it stays off, anything can happen. This is probably one of the few flaws the team has had at the start of this season: in some matches, they did not show up on the field. On the contrary, when they had the right mental and physical energy, they proved they could beat anyone: among the league and cups, they have so far defeated Inter, Milan, Juve, Roma, Bologna, Atalanta.

In the crisis, Conte may have found the tactical setup that turned the season around. The switch to a three-man defense (now chosen by the majority of Serie A teams) was the key to giving Napoli a defensive solidity they had somewhat lost at the start of the season. In the last three matches, they have strung together three consecutive 2-0 wins and have not conceded a goal. And they probably could have scored even more. The exuberance of the Napoli attack perhaps only lacks this, becoming more clinical. To take another step forward, certain mistakes in front of the goal cannot be made. But this too is a nitpick. On the plate, there are many delicacies. In Cremona, the most exquisite wore the number 19 jersey. Yes, because beyond the two goals scored and at least three others missed, Hojlund's performance was monstrous. The impression is that he is growing visibly week by week. He is a modern striker who combines all the characteristics a coach asks of a center forward. He protects the ball, helps the team advance, assists his teammates in building play, and at the same time is a master at attacking depth. He has physique, strength, technique, shooting ability, and a great goal instinct. He's left-footed, but yesterday he scored a brace with his right. When he performs at these levels, he becomes a nightmare for opponents. When he plays like this, he transforms into King Rasmus.

Carlo Gioia

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.