Antonio Conte’s Napoli secured the Supercoppa Italiana title for the 2025-26 season, but faced early exits from both the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. So, is the glass half empty or half full for the Italian coach?
As noted on Reddit, defending Serie A champions Napoli were considered favorites for the Scudetto this season. However, after 24 matches, the Partenopei find themselves in 3rd place, trailing leaders Inter by nine points.
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Conte’s team has already been knocked out of the Champions League group stage and the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
Though they claimed the Supercoppa title in December 2025 by defeating Milan in the semifinals and Bologna in the final, the question remains: can Conte be pleased with his squad’s performance this season?
On January 31, in Naples, Miguel Gutierrez celebrated with head coach Antonio Conte and Juan Jesus after scoring Napoli’s second goal in a Serie A match against ACF Fiorentina at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
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Injuries have undoubtedly hindered Napoli’s season, as they have had to manage without several key players for significant stretches of the campaign.
Players like Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Billy Gilmour have been sidelined since October. Additionally, Matteo Politano and David Neres have dealt with persistent physical issues. Romelu Lukaku just made his season debut after suffering a severe muscle injury during pre-season.
The absence of these players has limited Conte’s ability to rotate his squad, particularly in midfield and attack. As a result, he has had to frequently adjust the team’s system in an effort to maintain defensive solidity.
Following Napoli’s Coppa Italia exit via penalties to Como, Conte expressed his frustration but still backed his players.
“I commend the lads because it was certainly challenging to face a Como team with a full roster that had 10 days of rest,” he remarked after the 6-7 penalty shootout defeat at Stadio Maradona. “We came off a tough game against Genoa just three days earlier, which ended with us down to 10 men and saw us lose another key player to injury, Scott McTominay.”
In the post-match press conference, he highlighted that Napoli has secured two titles (one Scudetto and one Supercoppa) since his appointment in 2024, suggesting he views the glass as half full after 18 months at Stadio Maradona.
On January 28, during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 group phase match against Chelsea FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Antonio Conte, head coach of SSC Napoli, responded from the technical area. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
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Conte’s contract with Napoli runs until 2027, but he will likely meet with club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis at the end of the season to discuss the future.
With only Serie A left to compete for this season, Conte must aim for a Champions League qualification to meet the minimum expectations for the league.
“There have been many positives. Yes, we’ve exited the Coppa Italia and Champions League, but Serie A is our focus now, and we must give it our all,” Conte asserted following the Coppa Italia exit.