💥 Marotta v Conte, who’s right? Napoli cost more: the figures are 🤯 | OneFootball

The 17th round of Serie A saw, while waiting for Roma, Inter, Milan, Napoli, and Juventus secure 3 points. A day of "restoration," with the big teams managing to achieve results.

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However, it was the usual Antonio Conte who spiced up the atmosphere.

Conte's Provocation

The coach did it on DAZN after the 2-0 away win against Cremonese. Pressed about his post-Supercoppa statements, where he mentioned that Napoli is not ready to lead, here is the explanation he provided:

"Juventus, Milan, and Inter, in terms of structure, second teams, wage bills, and asset value, are different. If another team wins besides these three, they have done something extraordinary. You can't bury your head in the sand if there is a difference; then you try to bridge that difference on the field, but we are talking about different realities."

Marotta's Response

A classic provocation, aimed at highlighting the journey of the Neapolitan team and club and shifting all the pressure onto the more prestigious teams in the league. Inter's president Beppe Marotta responded before the match against Atalanta, predictably saying the exact opposite.

"I don't want to get into a controversy. Conte is a good coach and a good communicator. He knows how to distract attention and communication. The favorite is clearly Napoli; they are the reigning champions, have invested significant money, and have technical continuity, being the only team not to have changed coach. We have modified the model and invested in young players. We will all fight to the end, but I believe Napoli, for reasons of merit, is the serious candidate for the final victory."

The Reality of Numbers

Economic data, published by Daniele Mari and Fabrizio Biasin, provide clarity on the matter. Napoli confirms itself as third in wage bills with 110 million euros gross in salaries, behind Inter and Juventus but slightly above Milan. However, the cost of the squad is not calculated solely through this figure.

No club, in fact, has expenses comparable to those of Aurelio De Laurentiis regarding amortizations and loans: we are talking about 130 million, bringing the total figure to 240. This is the highest figure in Serie A, slightly above Juve and significantly above all others. Following a different philosophy, Napoli has reached the top of the league even in this aspect.

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

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