At one point during the international break, it appeared as if both Napoli and Atalanta would have new coaches in place for this weekend's meeting between the two sides at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. However, while the Bergamaschi inevitably sacked Ivan Juric the day after their shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Sassuolo, Antonio Conte remains in charge of the Partenopei – which is actually something of a surprise.
Conte may have led Napoli to just their fourth Serie A title six months ago, but his relationship with his players appears to be even worse than their results right now, with the coach comparing his team to a corpse after exhibiting zero signs of life in their latest loss at Bologna.
So, what on earth is going on with the Italian champions? Has Conte really lost the dressing room? Or is he simply trying to provoke a reaction out of his underperforming team by casting doubt on his future?
Getty Images Sport'Great knowledge of what football really means'
Conte is obviously no stranger to controversy. The notoriously combustible coach has repeatedly fallen out with his employers – and usually over perceived parsimony in the transfer market. His legendary lament at Juventus that "You cannot eat at a €100 restaurant with €10 in your pocket" has become a part of the lexicon of Italian football. Even by Conte's standards, though, it was jarring to hear him bemoaning a lack of investment before he'd even taken charge of his first match as Napoli coach last year.
In that particular instance, though, Conte did have some cause for complaint, as the horribly handled Victor Osimhen affair held up the club's summer recruitment for far longer than it should have done. The equally-outspoken Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis also acknowledged that last season's Scudetto success was made all the more remarkable for the fact that Conte had had to deal with the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for financial reasons midway through their title challenge.
"He managed through incidents and injuries to make do with what he had, using not one, but four or five different tactical systems," De Laurentiis enthused at the trophy parade in May. "Conte showed the whole world that systems are useless and that all you need is a great knowledge of what football really means. So, for him who took us all the way to win the second Scudetto in three years, I ask for an applause, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'There had been errors'
However, in the very same speech that De Laurentiis used to thank Conte, he also wished him "continuing success in his professional life" – which appeared to confirm rumours that the coach had already decided to part company with the Partenopei after just one season in charge – and return to Juventus.
Conte insisted all along, though, that he wouldn't make a decision on his future until after he had spoken to De Laurentiis and, after showdown talks with the president, he revealed that he would continue as coach because the club had acknowledged that certain mistakes had been made over the course of the campaign.
"I think everyone is aware of what happened in January," Conte told in June. "During the season, some things didn't really make me happy. New players arrived only in the last week [of the summer window]: (Scott) McTominay, (Billy) Gilmour, (David) Neres and (Romelu) Lukaku. Honestly, I didn’t like that.
"But I believe I was good at accepting the situation and not giving excuses to my players and myself. When you sign [a contract], there are honours and duties. But when we spoke, they admitted there had been errors. It happens, though, in the first year of marriage, so once I was reassured on certain things, we agreed to continue and now we must defend the Scudetto."
Getty Images Sport'Nine new players are too many'
Unfortunately, this particular marriage could very easily end in divorce – but not because of any fresh tension over transfers between Conte and the club.
Napoli pretty much gave Conte everything they wanted during the summer, signing eight players for a combined cost of roughly €200 million (when the obligatory fees are taken into account), while at the same time making free agent Kevin De Bruyne their second-highest earner after Lukaku. By Serie A standards, this constituted a colossal spending spree – and yet Conte has used Napoli's recruitment as an excuse for his side's patchy performances so far this season.
"Last year we won a championship where the players pushed themselves to the limit; we had unity in every way," Conte told after a shocking 6-2 Champions League loss at PSV. "In my opinion, nine new players are too many.
"We opened the transfer window because we were forced to do so. We tried to strengthen the squad but it takes time and patience. Bringing nine new players into the dressing room isn't easy. The old guys, myself and those from last year, need to step up our game and find unity again."
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AFPDe Bruyne blow
However, while Napoli looked like their old selves in beating Inter four days after being embarrassed in Eindhoven, they've struggled ever since to score goals due to a general lack of cohesion and creativity.
The loss of De Bruyne to a serious hamstring injury sustained while converting a penalty in the Inter game has understandably had a devastating impact on Napoli's attack, and partly explains why the goals have dried up for Rasmus Hojlund in recent weeks – which is a major problem given Lorenzo Lucca is looking like a poor signing and Lukaku is still not back to full fitness. Indeed, Napoli have now failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.
However, what's really troubling Conte is his team's work-rate, as the Partenopei are not playing with anything like the same dynamism as last season. The obvious explanation is that a team unburdened by European football last season is still getting used to the added stress and strain of competing in the Champions League. Some supporters and pundits are pointing the finger at Conte, though.