Antonio Conte has been awarded the Serie A Coach of the Month for September, recognizing his impressive start as Napoli’s new manager. The prestigious award will be presented to Conte before Napoli’s upcoming match against Como at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Since taking charge of Napoli, Conte has quickly transformed the team’s fortunes. After a disappointing 10th place finish last season, Napoli now finds itself at the top of the Serie A table with 13 points from six games. This marks the first time Napoli has led the league since their title-winning campaign two seasons ago.
The award was decided by a panel of sports journalists who evaluated coaches based on technical and sporting criteria, quality of play, and conduct during matches. Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Serie A, praised Conte’s impact, stating, “Since his arrival in Naples, Conte has instilled his philosophy of hard work, ambition, and winning mentality in his players. This new attitude has immediately led to positive results.”
De Siervo also highlighted the importance of Conte’s tactical choices and Napoli’s solid defensive performances in propelling the team back to the top of the standings. He added that Conte’s success “guarantees Serie A the fundamental alternation at the top, which is synonymous with interest and balance.”
The award ceremony will take place just before Napoli’s match against Como, adding extra significance to the fixture. Interestingly, Como is managed by Cesc Fabregas, who played under Conte at Chelsea and recently praised him as “one of the best coaches of recent years.”
Despite the accolade and Napoli’s strong start, Conte remains cautious about title aspirations. He emphasized the need for continued hard work and improvement, stating, “We need to sweat every game, like we did today, and grow.” Conte acknowledged the high expectations surrounding him due to his past successes but stressed the importance of keeping his feet on the ground.
