Napoli is a master a master againSecure its Fourth scudetto in club history And restore pride in a city that breathes football. But in addition to the celebration in Naples, this title Triumph has a twist of poetic justice. During a season where other giants stumbled, a man rose over expectations and once again proved why he is among the elite in his profession.
The coach in the middle of everything? Antonio Conte. A year ago he is overlooked – left on the outside of Elite Italian coaching circles, apparently past his best. Fast flushing until May 2025, and he has lifted another series A title and reinforced his status as an relentless, winner-to-all-cost leader. What makes it even more compelling is that he just this season could have trained one of Italy’s other top clubswhich leads a completely different squad … one that included Christian Pulisik.
Milan’s missed opportunity
Last summer, Milan was in need of a new coach. Rossoneri had ended the season 2023-24 with unfulfilled potential and knew that change was necessary. Antonio Conte was interestedEven making it known that Milan was his preferred destination. Initial contact was reported between Conte and Milan’s technical manager Geoffrey MoncadaBut the discussions stayed there.
According to La Gazzetta Dello SportThe red and blacks chose a different path. The club, led by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and CEO Gournio Furlanimade the controversial decision to appoint Paulo Fonseca instead.
“At Milan you have a coach, not a manager. We didn’t talk to Conte because with the criteria we had, he was not what we were looking for, his name did not come up,” Ibrahimovic said at that time. “With all respect for him, who is a good manager, he is not what we were looking for.”
Milan wanted some more cooperative, less confronting, someone who would not question the decision of the Board. Conte, famous intense and outspoken, did not fit his philosophy. Fonseca, on the other hand, was seen as malleable – a coach rather than a manager. The decision seemed rationally at that time. In retrospect, it is one that they will probably regret for several years.
Conte wins series for a while Milan collapses
While Napoli grew to the top of Serie A under ConteThe Milan exhausted a disaster season. Meeting ninth in the leagueRossoneri was knocked out from Champions League by Feyenoord and fell under every domestic goal.
A new report of La Gazzetta Dello Sport outlined seven important mistakes in Milan’s planning and “No Conte” topped the list. The club’s hierarchy had prioritized structure and shared decisions on leadership and grain qualities that the Italian tactician brings abundance.
Fonseca’s service was completed in disappointment and disillusionment, and his compensation, Sergio Concephicos Stint, has not been different. Milan’s last match of the season, a meaningless fixture against Monza, only emphasized how far the team and its leadership have fallen from their ambitions.
