Tag: Napoli

Napoli secured their second Serie A title in three years with a 2-0 home win over Cagliari on Friday, edging out Inter Milan by a single point in a nail-biting conclusion to the season.

The victory not only marked Napoli’s fourth Italian championship overall but also a historic achievement for head coach Antonio Conte. The 55-year-old Italian became the first manager to win the Serie A title with three different clubs, having previously triumphed with Juventus and Inter Milan, News.Az reports.

Heading into the final matchday, Napoli held a slender one-point lead over defending champions Inter. Early signs suggested the title might return to Milan, as Inter took the lead against Como in the 20th minute. However, Napoli regained control when Scott McTominay volleyed in the opener in the 42nd minute.

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Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead shortly after halftime, sparking celebrations at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona—the same venue named after the legendary player who guided Napoli to their first two league titles in 1987 and 1990.

Although Inter went on to beat a 10-man Como side 2-0, it wasn’t enough, as Napoli clinched the Scudetto by just one point.

 The win marks a remarkable turnaround for the club, which had slumped to 10th place last season. Under Conte’s leadership, Napoli are once again at the pinnacle of Italian football, just two years after their 2023 title triumph led by Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Napoli are on the brink of claiming their second Serie A title in three seasons as they head into the final weekend of the campaign leading Scudetto rivals Inter Milan by a single point.

Antonio Conte’s team host Cagliari in front of what will be a packed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona tonight, at the same time as Inter kick off at in-form Como.

Last weekend’s dramatic goalless draw at Parma has left Napoli needing to match or better Inter’s result at Como in order to secure a fourth league crown.

After that Conte’s future at Napoli is still in doubt with Italian media widely reporting that he will return to Juventus, where he spent the majority of his trophy-packed playing career and won three league titles as coach.

 “Winning the Scudetto would repay all of the effort that I’ve put in this season. I know that I’m very tired and that I’m just about OK to get to the end of the season,” said Conte after Sunday’s stalemate.

Neither Conte nor his Inter counterpart Simone Inzaghi will be in their respective dugouts tonight  after both were sent off in a tempestuous penultimate round of matches which ended with Napoli and Inter drawing.

Inzaghi was enraged at the penalty from which Lazio’s Pedro equalised for the second time on Sunday, a 90th-minute spot-kick netted following a Yann Bisseck handball which so angered Inter that no one spoke to media after the 2-2 draw at the San Siro.

Meanwhile Conte nearly came to blows with a Parma’s assistant manager Antonio Gagliardi, Conte’s match analyst with the Italian national team a decade ago, in the final moments at Parma, just as Napoli fans were celebrating Pedro’s spot-kick.

Former Spain international Pedro became an instant hero in Naples as the 37-year-old’s 14^th  goal of the season kept Napoli top of the division heading into the final weekend.

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Napoli and Inter’s matches have been scheduled for tonight  to give Inter adequate time to prepare for the Champions League final on May 31, even in the unlikely event that the two teams finish level on points and leave the title to be decided by a play-off on Monday.

The threat of a play-off has complicated the season finale, in particular for Inter whose showdown with Paris Saint-Germain in Munich is now the priority with their league title defence as good as over.

An eventual play-off had originally been scheduled for next week but that is now untenable for Inter and for Serie A, a league which hasn’t had a European champion since Jose Mourinho guided the Milan giants to the treble 15 years ago.

The league had earmarked Thursday as the new date for Napoli and Inter’s matches so that a play-off could be scheduled for the weekend, but Napoli and broadcaster DAZN were reportedly against the idea and that led to the choice of Friday for their final league matches and Monday for any play-off.

However for a play-off to happen Napoli would have to lose on Friday, unlikely against a team with nothing to play for, and Inter draw at Como.

Inter have the harder task on Friday as Como have taken 20 points from their last eight fixtures and are on course to finish 10^th , their highest placing since ninth – albeit in a 16-team league – in 1986.

Juventus need one more win to hold off Roma and Lazio and secure the fourth and final Champions League spot. Igor Tudor’s team head on Sunday to Venezia who are 19th and one of five teams battling against relegation on the final day.

SERIE FINAL DAY FIXTURES:

Friday: Como v Inter Milan, Napoli v Cagliari

Saturday: Bologna v Genoa;  AC Milan v Monza

Sunday: Atalanta v Parma; Empoli v Verona; Lazio v Lecce; Torino v Roma; Udinese v Fiorentina; Venezia v Juventus

Napoli should have been more clinical in front of goal when they were held to a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Venezia in Serie A on Saturday, manager Antonio Conte said, adding that he was still satisfied with his side’s performance.

The draw left Napoli in second place with 61 points from 29 matches — level with leaders Inter Milan and three points ahead of third-placed Atalanta, who face each other later on Sunday.

Napoli had 15 shots but Venezia’s defence were up to the task and were aided by an excellent performance from goalkeeper Ionut Radu, whose seven saves earned the hosts a valuable point.

Venezia also had a chance to steal a winner late in added time but were unable to cap off a sweeping counter-attack with a goal.

“I am satisfied with the performance, then we wanted to win it. The positive aspect is that we created a lot, the negative is that we didn’t convert them,” Conte told reporters.

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“The thing that bothered me was the six versus two counter-attack at the end — that must never happen. We switched off our brains at that moment and it must never happen.

“We had to be more incisive, the one who scores goals wins. There are nine games to go, we’ll try to be a nuisance until the end, fighting tooth and nail.”

Napoli next host AC Milan on March 30, after the international break which Conte said would afford his exhausted squad vital respite.

“We only have half a team left. We’ll use the break to continue working, perhaps organising a few friendlies for those who arrived in January so they can get into better context and condition,” he added.

“We will certainly complete the recovery of (winger) David Neres. Hopefully those who go to the national team will come back safe and sound.”

Conte said defender Amir Rrahmani, who was substituted in the 77^th  minute with an apparent thigh injury, did not have a major issue, adding: “He told me he was tired, we’ll evaluate. It could be a contracture.”