Signals of a New Era of Napoli Domination in Italy

RIYADH, TUESDAY — Napoli concluded the year 2025 with a celebration of the Coppa Italia championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The achievement of the domestic double title under Antonio Conte signals the emergence of a dominant era for "The Little Donkey" in Italy.

The year 2025 is one of the best years in the history of Napoli. For the first time, they were able to combine the Serie A trophy with the Supercoppa Italiana, which serves as a tournament to establish the true champion of Italy within a calendar year.

Napoli won their third Italian Super Cup title after 1991 and 2015. However, this year's trophy was their first, along with the Scudetto.

They couldn't achieve that feat under Diego Maradona, the Napoli legend who won two Serie A titles. Two years later, Napoli also failed to win the Italian Super Cup despite being the Scudetto champions.

That success undoubtedly awakens hope for Napoli to maintain dominance in Italy. They have the opportunity to defend the Serie A title in the 2025-2026 season.

Before heading to Riyadh, Napoli was positioned third in the Italian League. The Little Donkey was only two points behind the league leader, Inter Milan.

In addition, Napoli has also advanced to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. They are now awaiting their challenger, who will come from the winner of the match between Fiorentina and Como.

We are very happy because since the Maradona era we have been able to win two trophies in one calendar year, so this is very important for us. I tell the supporters not to hesitate to dream for Napoli.

After defeating Bologna 2-0 at Al Awwal Park Stadium on Tuesday (23/12/2025), Conte was beaming as he embraced each of his players. Conte deserves to be proud as this is his second Supercoppa Italiana trophy as a coach. His first title in the tournament was won with Juventus in 2014.

Napoli achieved two convincing victories. Before facing Bologna in the final, they eliminated AC Milan with the same score. In these two high-intensity and prestigious matches, Napoli did not concede any goals, which further satisfied Conte with the performance of his players.

"The boys deserve credit for having a brilliant tournament against Bologna and AC Milan," Conte told Mediaset.

He added, "They demonstrate the magnitude of the ambition to achieve the championship title and provide a special Christmas celebration for the supporters. This success further proves our great hunger."

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis increasingly admires Conte's cool hand. According to him, Conte has brought back Napoli's best era since the Maradona era.

"We're very happy because it's the first time since Maradona that we've won two trophies in one calendar year, so this is very important for us. I tell the fans not to hesitate to dream for Napoli," De Lauretiis said, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Not only has Conte polished the mentality of his winning team, but he has also proven capable of helping each of his players to bring out their best abilities. Napoli heads to Riyadh with limited strength.

The depth of the squad is quite limited due to several key players, such as Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa, Billy Gilmour, and Alex Meret, who have not yet recovered from injuries. Forward Romelu Lukaku has been included in the lineup, but he is not fit enough to play.

The 3-4-2-1 tactic, which has been a favorite of Conte since the defeat to Bologna on November 2, in Serie A has proven to be effective. Through this formation, Conte has led Napoli to victories over Atalanta, AS Roma, Juventus, AC Milan, and has achieved revenge against Bologna.

Unlike the 4-3-3 tactic that was relied upon at the beginning of this season, Conte emphasized the advantage of having a greater number of players in the midfield and granted freedom to two attacking midfielders, who are primarily positioned as wingers, namely David Neres and Eljif Elmas.

Fluid movement is also attributed to the center forward, Rasmus Hojlund. This flexible playing system has proven capable of showcasing the individual skills of several players.

Neres, for example, scored two winning goals against Bologna in the 38th and 57th minutes. The goals showcased his brilliant individual actions to outsmart the opposing defenders.

One goal was also scored by the Brazilian player when eliminating Milan. Neres' role has become difficult to replace at Napoli. His performance is complemented by a record of six goals and four assists.

"Our main task as coaches is to help players understand their roles in the game and make them stronger. I feel that all my players have shown improvement in tactical understanding and movement, as well as in mentality," Conte stated.

Neres stated that the title from the Italian Super Cup helps the Napoli squad to focus more on the remainder of the season. They are confident in their ability to compete in three competitions: Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

"Victory always brings higher confidence, especially after winning a tournament. We have little time to rest before refocusing on the next match," said Neres.

Mateo Politano, the winger of Napoli, stated that all players have great confidence in Conte. The Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana trophies prove that Conte has put Napoli on the right track to consistently achieve championship titles.

"Coach is our leader and we will follow him until death," said Politano, expressing the immense trust of the Napoli squad in Conte. (AFP)