Conte: champion at home, struggles in Europe compared to Serie A | OneFootball

After three matchdays in the Champions League group stage, Napoli remains stuck at 3 points. The heavy 6-2 defeat suffered in the Netherlands against PSV Eindhoven is the latest chapter in a complicated European journey for Antonio Conte. While in domestic competitions the Salento-born coach has built an extraordinary career, capable of surprising with league titles in seasons without cups, in Europe his record has been decidedly more inconsistent.

Champions League, Conte’s Achilles’ heel: Napoli stuck at 3 points after the loss to PSV

As highlighted by TuttoNapoli.net, in six Champions League appearances, Conte has advanced past the group stage only three times and has reached the round of 16 twice, with the quarterfinals in the 2013 season still his best result to date. His European history includes tough challenges like matches against Galatasaray in the snow, Europa League semifinals and finals, and moments of great frustration after painful eliminations. The numbers confirm this difference in performance: in European competitions he has played 63 matches, winning 27, with a win percentage of 42.9% (34% in the Champions League, 71.4% in the Europa League, and 50% in the Conference League). In domestic leagues, however, Conte has played 380 matches, collecting 250 wins, equal to 65.8%, more than 22 percentage points higher than in European competitions. Specifically, the coach records a 67.3% win rate in Serie A and 62.9% in the Premier League.

The comparison between domestic leagues and European cups highlights a clear fact: Conte dominates at the domestic level, but international competitions continue to represent a tough proving ground, as shown by Napoli’s heavy defeat in Eindhoven, which adds a new chapter to a relationship that has never been simple between the coach and Europe.

Andrea Alati

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