Napoli, Conte and the burden of unpopularity: his work fortress | OneFootball

In his editorial for Corriere dello Sport, Mimmo Carratelli analyzes Antonio Conte's current situation at Napoli, describing the coach from Salento as a man alone at the helm, enclosed in his fortress made of work, discipline, and—yes—antipathy, transformed into a shield and inner strength.

Napoli, Conte, and the Weight of Antipathy: The Fortress of His Solitude in Work (Carratelli)

From the Championship of Resilience to the Dream of Dominance

Carratelli recalls how Conte secured a championship purely through resilience, built on sacrifice and concreteness, enhancing a team lacking absolute superstars but rich in spirit and unity. A triumph founded on tenacity, not talent, which today represents the foundation of his new project:

“Having achieved the maximum with a poor but concrete team, a championship of pure resilience against stronger opponents, Antonio wanted to go further by imagining a bigger, dominant, European Napoli.”

The declared goal was to transform Napoli into a leading team, capable of managing matches with authority, not just reacting. An ambitious project—the “second step” of the Conte cycle—that would, however, require time, balance, and, as Carratelli points out, three or four true superstars to complete the transformation.

Audacity Under Scrutiny

The journalist highlights how today Conte is under scrutiny precisely for his audacity. His desire to push beyond the limits of prudence and give Napoli a new identity has exposed him to criticism. The defeat in Eindhoven against PSV has become the symbol of this growth crisis, a painful but not definitive passage:

“Eindhoven was a bad collapse, but it cannot be a verdict.”

For Carratelli, Conte has tried to surpass the boundaries of his traditional football, seeking an authoritative and dominant Napoli. However, the path has been hindered by injuries, adaptation times, and acquisitions not yet up to the technical project.

Antipathy as Armor

Carratelli offers a deeper reflection on the coach's character, identifying antipathy as his way of protecting himself and resisting pressure. A trait that Conte not only does not hide but seems to cultivate as a distinctive mark:

“Antipathy as the fortress of his solitude in work, a fortress in which players must, however, be convinced warriors and solid allies.”

A Napoli that wants to grow, therefore, but needs to fully believe in its commander. Because Conte, for better or worse, builds teams that feed off his energy, his obsession, and his determination.

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