Napoli: Conte meets Bologna again, from rock bottom to revival | OneFootball

The Supercoppa final closes a circle that began at the Dall’Ara: crisis, harsh words, tactical changes, and a technical turning point. In between, the true birth of Conte’s Napoli.

Napoli, Conte faces Bologna again after 43 days: from the lowest point to Napoli’s rebirth

Napoli-Bologna is not just an Italian Supercoppa final. It is the culmination of a tortuous journey that began exactly 43 days earlier, when Antonio Conte’s Napoli probably hit the most critical moment of its season at the Dall’Ara. Corriere dello Sport reconstructs that trajectory, identifying Bologna-Napoli as the emotional, tactical, and managerial turning point of the Conte era.

The Dall’Ara as a symbol of crisis

The defeat in Bologna was not just a simple loss. It was a noisy fall, accompanied by harsh words and signals that suggested a deep fracture. “I don’t accompany the dead,” Conte said after the match. A phrase that, at that moment, seemed more like the manifesto of a foretold decline than a jolt destined to produce positive effects.

In the following days, persistent rumors emerged about internal tensions, especially related to training methods. Conte’s decision to temporarily step away, taking refuge in Turin during the international break, was seen as a sign of an imminent split. In reality, it was the beginning of a deep reflection.

The break, the reflection, and the change of course

That moment of distance was decisive. Upon his return, Conte changed the face of his Napoli. The match against Atalanta marked the beginning of a new phase: bold choices, revised hierarchies, and a tactical setup more suited to the squad’s characteristics.

Neres and Lang on the field, Politano initially on the bench, an aggressive and vertical approach. Napoli overwhelmed Palladino’s Atalanta, in his debut on the bench after Juric. It was not just a clear victory, but a statement of intent. From there, Napoli started running again.

A tactical journey lasting 43 days

Corriere dello Sport also reconstructs Conte’s tactical evolution, who experienced very different stages of his Napoli adventure precisely against Bologna.

In the first leg, last season, Conte’s first win as Napoli coach came precisely against the rossoblù, with a 3-0 built on a 3-4-2-1 formation tailored to the team, when the 4-3-3 was still just a market-related idea and McTominay hadn’t even arrived yet.

In the return leg, and then in the first match of this season, again at the Dall’Ara, the definitive switch to 4-3-3 first produced a draw and then that defeat which became the “turning point match.” A journey made of adjustments, mistakes, new solutions, and finally, a new identity.

From Bologna to Riyadh: the circle closes

Today, the scenario is completely different. From the semi-empty Dall’Ara to Riyadh, from the noise of crisis to the focused silence of a final. Napoli arrives at the Supercoppa with greater balance, renewed confidence, and the awareness of having overcome the most complicated moment.

There is also a fact that strengthens Napoli’s confidence: Antonio Conte has already played two Supercoppa finals in his career and has won them both. A detail that matters, especially in one-off matches where emotional and mental management often makes the difference.

A final worth more than a trophy

Napoli-Bologna does not just award a cup. It represents the definitive test of Conte’s Napoli rebirth. Forty-three days after the lowest point, the Azzurri have the chance to prove that the crisis was not a prelude to collapse, but the beginning of a transformation.

Now the circle is ready to close. And doing so with a trophy would make that phrase, “I don’t accompany the dead,” not the symbol of a decline, but the birth certificate of a rebirth.

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