Former Napoli player Paolo Di Canio has shared his thoughts on Antonio Conte’s appointment as the new manager of Napoli, praising the Italian coach’s ability to revive struggling teams. In a candid interview with Il Mattino, Di Canio offered insights into Conte’s managerial style and Napoli’s prospects under his leadership.
Di Canio began by emphasizing Conte’s track record: “He was born to resurrect teams of the dead. His history shows it. Conte is made for this: he’s a ‘nerd,’ one who I adore for how he manages to hammer his teams. And he can even lead Napoli to win the Scudetto.”
Discussing Conte’s impact on Napoli, Di Canio noted: “He’s first. And deservedly so. He’s gotten into the players’ heads, motivated them, he’s the strong man that was missing, the hammer, the true heir to Trapattoni in Italy.”
Di Canio highlighted Conte’s ability to transform struggling teams: “Conte has always done this: he arrives in broken environments, destroyed by the past, full of disappointment and puts them back in their place, resuscitates them. He fixes everything in a short time. Today he is this, at Juventus, at Chelsea, at Inter. He doesn’t arrive after a Champions League or a title, he arrives where there are ruins, where everything has to be built from the foundations. He is a magician, in managing to win where the year before there were only ruins.”
When asked about Napoli’s chances of winning the league, Di Canio was optimistic: “If Inter and Juventus continue like this, with these slowdowns, no problems. They can do it even if the others improve but on the condition that Napoli grows in offensive maneuvers, in defensive work, in nastiness for the entire ninety minutes.”
Di Canio also praised Conte’s tactical acumen and man-management skills, noting how he handles player rotations and avoids creating unnecessary tension within the squad.
In conclusion, Di Canio expressed his optimism for Napoli’s future under Conte: “There’s only reason to be optimistic and almost obligated to achieve Champions League placement. If you come out of the trio of matches against Inter, Atalanta, and Milan still first in the standings, you have to start wearing a new uniform and start dreaming.”
