Napoli’s Slender Empoli Victory Is the Kind Antonio Conte Loves Most

There’s nothing Antonio Conte loves more than a hard-earned victory. 

As a player, Conte was — by his own admission — not the greatest technician. During a 13-year playing career with Juventus, Conte played with some of the greatest attacking players in the world, but knew his calling in the Bianconeri set up.

“I did not have Zinedine Zidane or Roberto Baggio’s talent as a player, and I have played with both, that even when they were circled they could try to break through or create interesting situations with the ball,” said Conte about his own ability in 2013.

“When I was a player, my efforts and work-rate, my willingness to sacrifice fitness and humility made up for my lack of pure talent.”

Conte’s playing career has influenced how he views the game as a manager. The sight of one of his teams scraping to a win, especially away from home and in the provinces, is music to his ears.

And this is exactly what his Napoli side did against Empoli on Sunday. In a tight and, at times, tedious game at the Stadio Castellani, Napoli never really clicked, yet a penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia settled the game and brought all three points home to Naples.

Empoli had been one of the surprise packages of the Serie A season in the early weeks of the season. Under Roberto D’Aversa the Tuscan side had proved to be resolute at the back, conceding a mere four goals going into the Napoli game and having the second best defence in the league behind Juventus.

D’Aversa had already pulled off a major coup by beating Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in one of Daniele De Rossi’s last games in charge, and it wasn’t fanciful to suggest he could do it again against the league-leaders.

It wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory. Kvaratskhelia’s penalty puts him up to four goals for the season, and the Georgian is getting back to his best after an inconsistent 2023-24 campaign. Each side had only one shot on target. Clearly, Empoli wanted to make things difficult and clog up central spaces.

“We knew that we were going to suffer,” said Conte in his post-match press conference. “Empoli can make it hard for anyone, it was a victory hard-earned and should be celebrated.”

With so many of his performers having an off day, this is the kind of triumph Conte savours most, the kind that includes more running, humility and sacrifice than a moment of brilliance, the kind of unflattering victory that wins leagues. But it’s all about avoiding the banana skin, especially with Empoli being Napoli’s kryptonite in recent seasons.

Conte has restored Napoli to the top of the table and while the word ‘Scudetto’ might be a little premature at this stage of the season, there’s little doubt the Partenopei won’t be in the discussion come the business end of the season. 

Even at this early stage, Napoli, Juve and reigning champions Inter look a cut above the rest of the chasing pack, and the clash between Inter and Napoli on November 10 will be keenly awaited, and a true test of Napoli’s mettle.

While Juve and Inter slog through the expanded Champions League format in the autumn and into the winter, the lack of European football is a major feather in Napoli’s cap, with Conte a manager who thrives on playing once a week.

Most Juve fans would agree that during Conte’s three-year spell as boss at the beginning of the 2010s, the greatest iteration was the first one, when they had no European obligations and played less often. Conte delivered the Scudetto in his first season, going unbeaten and playing a 4-3-3.

Napoli of course have no chance of repeating that, for they’ve already lost this season. But they’re slowing finding their rhythm, and a fourth title cannot be ruled out. Victories like the one against Empoli are crucial in the long-slog of a league season, and will tell Conte more about the character of his players than the 4-0 away win against Cagliari in September did, for example.

Next up for Napoli is Lecce at home, a fixture with historical and emotional roots for Conte. Following Lecce, games against AC Milan, Atalanta, Inter and Roma all await one after the other, a true baptism of fire.

Since the opening day defeat to Verona, Conte has delivered a string of victories —six from the last seven — and the last one will be the sweetest. One tinged with sweat and sacrifice, just how he likes.