Napoli And Conte Stand As A Rare Point Of Continuity Before Serie A Restart

It did not return agelong aft Napoli had won Serie A successful May for immoderate journalists to inquire whether their head would godforsaken them. Antonio Conte had grumbled for months astir transportation decisions. Even successful this infinitesimal of triumph, his assemblage connection astir nan owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, remained frosty.

Recent history hung complete Napoli. Luciano Spalletti stepped down aft starring nan Partenopei to a Scudetto successful 2023, riding disconnected into nan sunset successful his newly pimped retired Fiat Panda and citing a “personality clash” pinch De Laurentiis. But Conte is his ain man pinch his ain imperatives. Three months later, he stands arsenic a uncommon constituent of continuity successful a convention wished to eschew it. Twelve of 20 clubs person changed head – a drop, admittedly, from 14 past summer – including six of nan apical 8 finishers.

Does stableness breed success? If so, Napoli should statesman arsenic clear favourites. No starters person departed, and Kevin De Bruyne has arrived – a awesome of raised ambitions for a squad chasing its 3rd home title successful 4 years. Incorporating him will require thought and apt immoderate accommodation to past season’s 4-3-3, but should lend assortment to a broadside that over-relied connected Scott McTominay down nan stretch. Nor is De Bruyne nan only caller arrival. Napoli person added centre-back Sam Beukema from Bologna and nan Netherlands world Noa Lang connected nan wing. Romelu Lukaku will miss nan commencement of nan play pinch a hamstring injury, but that astatine slightest will springiness nan 6ft 7ins striker Lorenzo Lucca a chance to beryllium his worthy aft joining from Udinese.

Who will situation them? Inter stay nan astir apt contenders, moreover aft a humiliating extremity to nan past campaign, erstwhile they spiralled from chasing 4 trophies to winning nary and getting trounced successful nan Champions League final. They person mislaid nary starters from a squad wide perceived arsenic nan astir talented successful Italy and added absorbing young talents. Wide guardant Ange-Yoan Bonny has an eye-catching operation of size and acceleration. Midfielder Petar Sucic is an established Croatia world astatine 21 years old. Signing Luis Henrique from Ligue 1, correct aft having dreams crushed by Luis Enrique from Ligue 1, is poetic perfection.

The large mobility is whether Cristian Chivu is nan correct man to lead Inter. Hired successful a hurry aft Simone Inzaghi near for Al-Hilal, he hardly had clip to get to cognize his players earlier nan Club World Cup, wherever nan Nerazzurri exited to Fluminense successful nan first knockout round. Chivu arrived pinch plentifulness of goodwill, having won 3 convention titles astatine Inter arsenic a subordinate – nan past of those arsenic portion of nan 2010 treble. But his anterior managerial acquisition is constricted to 13 games astatine Parma. Is nan Romanian nan correct man to reconstruct intent and cohesion to a demoralised changing room? For now, immoderate judgement feels for illustration a guess.

Who other mightiness challenge? Atalanta vanished 3rd but their head of nan past 9 years, Gian Piero Gasperini, has near for Roma, bringing down nan curtain connected nan astir successful section successful nine history. His replacement, Ivan Juric, worked nether Gasperini arsenic a subordinate past assistant, perchance equipping him to move guardant pinch akin tactical ideas. But he inherits a squad that sold Capocannoniere Mateo Retegui and whitethorn yet suffer Ademola Lookman. That brace scored much than half of nan team’s 78 convention goals past season.

How will Inter, nether caller caput coach Cristian Chivu, execute aft losing nan Champions League last to Paris Saint-Germain? Photograph: Anna Szilágyi/EPA

Gasperini’s caller task astatine Roma fascinates. Can he found nan aforesaid front-footed principles that made Atalanta into Europa League winners and regular Champions League qualifiers? Despite a good for breaching Financial Fair Play rules, Roma person made moves. The astir intriguing seizure mightiness beryllium nan Brazilian right-back Wesley from Flamengo. But location is curiosity, too, astir indebtedness signings Evan Ferguson and Leon Bailey from Premier League clubs, each successful request of a caller start.

Juventus were nan different top-eight side, too Napoli, to clasp their manager, albeit nan agelong hold earlier confirming Igor Tudor hardly made it look for illustration a assured choice. Despite a low-key transportation session, location are reasons to judge they mightiness surprise. A squad who fielded nan second-youngest XIs successful Serie A past play will person different twelvemonth of acquisition nether their belts, arsenic good arsenic Bremer, perchance nan champion centre-back successful nan division, backmost from injury. Juventus are not favourites, but Tudor has said he will not contented himself pinch aiming for 3rd aliases fourth.

What of Milan? Massimiliano Allegri is back, 14 years aft starring nan Rossoneri to a Serie A title. Luka Modric has joined, 22 years aft his master debut. Can nan Croatian writer 1 much memorable chapter? Tijjani Reijnders and Theo Hernández are gone, and Rafael Leão picked up an wounded successful past week’s cup triumph complete Bari, but location were encouraging signs successful that performance. A deficiency of European shot whitethorn use them.

Could a different nine surprise? Como signalled their ambition arsenic they refused to entertain Inter’s attack for head Cesc Fàbregas. They person spent €100m successful this transportation window, adding a wealthiness of young talent, including Jesús Rodríguez from Real Betis and Martin Baturina from Dinamo Zagreb.

Milan’s hopes for nan play centre connected Rafael Leão, who scored against Bari successful nan cup but besides picked up an injury. Photograph: Marco Canoniero/Shutterstock

Bologna request to capable gaps near by Beukema and Dan Ndoye, overmuch arsenic they did Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee a twelvemonth ago. Fiorentina appeared to beryllium connected nan correct way past season, but will their advancement beryllium derailed by nan resignation of head Raffaele Palladino, replaced by nan returning Stefano Pioli? Lazio, too, turned to a acquainted look successful Maurizio Sarri, but a transportation embargo has prevented them from restructuring nan squad to fresh his vision.

Of nan promoted sides, Fabio Grosso’s Sassuolo look champion equipped to conflict relegation, pinch Armand Laurienté and Domenico Berardi proven commodities successful nan attack. Andrea Pinamonti is backmost for now, too, aft hitting double figures connected indebtedness astatine Genoa. Pisa were promoted playing fast-break shot nether Filippo Inzaghi but look to beryllium adapting towards a possession crippled pinch their caller head Alberto Gilardino. Cremonese person hired endurance master Davide Nicola.

Verona whitethorn beryllium drawn into nan conflict aft different transportation model of flogging their astir promising young players, this clip nan centre-backs Diego Coppola and Daniele Ghilardi. Parma, too, person been stripped of assets, including Bonny, Simon Sohm and Dennis Man – not to mention Chivu. Lecce dream signing nan 17-year-old Francesco Camarda connected indebtedness from Milan whitethorn bolster an onslaught that scored a league-worst 27 goals past season. Cagliari person promoted academy coach – and erstwhile Guardian footballer of nan year – Fabio Pisacane to lead their first team, his first elder guidance role.

Above them is simply a acquainted group of teams looking to push connected from midtable. Kosta Runjaic impressed successful his debut Serie A play arsenic head of Udinese, but has mislaid starters Lucca, Jaka Bijol and Florian Thauvin. Torino hired Marco Baroni, who vanished seventh pinch Lazio, and person supplied him pinch caller guardant talent, but location are questions astir equilibrium successful midfield. Genoa showed marked betterment nether Patrick Vieira but person undergone important squad turnover.

This feels for illustration different play that originates pinch much mobility marks than certainties. That has been nan measurement of things lately successful a convention wherever nary squad has successfully defended a Scudetto for 5 years. Now Napoli, a nine who had only won nan convention doubly successful their history earlier this decade, will get different chance.