Conte ‘always seeking excellence’ at Napoli, says Manna | OneFootball

Napoli director Giovanni Manna calls Antonio Conte ‘added value’ for the club because the coach is always ‘seeking excellence’ in every area, even if that can cause some issues.

The Partenopei slipped into second place behind Inter ahead of Saturday evening’s Scudetto showdown at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

They had not expected to even be in the title race after finishing 10th last term, not to mention leading the table for half the campaign.

“Conte is added value, because a coach with this competence, charisma and experience inevitably brings something extra in every moment, both positive and negative, during the course of a season,” Manna told Sky Sport Italia.

“We are working with someone who is always seeking excellent, so the standard is very high. We must work in a fair way to achieve our objectives all together.”

Conte keeps Napoli standards high and expectations low

epa11852896 Napoli’s head coach Antonio Conte at the end of the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs Juventus Football Club at Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, 25 January 2025. EPA-EFE/CIRO FUSCO

Napoli had the added advantage over many of the other Scudetto contenders of not being involved in European competition this season, while they also exited the Coppa Italia fairly early.

Nonetheless, Conte has always been adamant that they are not aiming to win the Serie A title in his debut season, an approach that director Manna agrees with.

“We must remain realistic. We are having a strong campaign, we know where we are coming from. It’s normal that there are some critical issues, including the pressure around us, but these steps can only be achieved with time.

“We should be happy with what we have done so far. We can nurture a dream, but must also be realistic.”

Conte is from Lecce and Manna suggests this might help his rapport with the Napoli fans.

“The passion and character of someone from the south is different to those in the north of Italy. They are more emotional and it is only natural that someone from the south will feel immediately wrapped up in this project.”

While Conte brings experience and high standards, he is also pushing Napoli to build a new training ground.

“We have certain issues that we are trying to make up for, it takes time, but we’re doing our best.”

President Aurelio De Laurentiis invested heavily in the squad this summer and his patronage is closer to the old school than the current club model.

“Napoli are one of the few Italian clubs who hark back to the philanthropic model,” said Manna.

“It is a very direct system, the decisions are made quickly, without going through too many advisors. De Laurentiis is a President who is present and I am pleasantly surprised by how close he is to me during this journey.”