Napoli’s rise to prominence under Kim Min-jae

Italian soccer club SSC Napoli won the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years in the 2022-2023 season. It was the first title since the 1989-1990 season, when the late Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona (1960-2020) played for the club. The victory was spurred on by the brilliance of center back Kim Min-jae, 28, who was named Serie A’s Defender of the Year after joining Napoli from Turkkiye Fenerbahce, the home of the “defensive by the comb”.

German giants Bayern Munich didn’t want to let him go. With Kim’s move to Munich and the departure of current Italian national team coach Luciano Spalletti, who was also the winning coach, from Napoli, the team went through a dramatic turnover. Last season, Napoli sacked coach Rudi Garcia after a record of 6 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, and his successor, Valtere Marchischi, stepped down after a dismal 4 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses, leaving Francesco Calzona to finish the season. The club finished 10th in Serie A with 13 wins, 14 draws, and 11 losses. The team that conceded the fewest goals in the 2022-2023 season with Kim Min-jae (28) collapsed after conceding 48 goals.

After falling to the league’s mid-table within a year,

Napoli vowed to revive their fortunes this season and entrusted Antonio Conte (55) with the reins. Conte has won four Serie A titles with Juventus and Inter, 메이저사이트 and led Chelsea to the top of the English Premier League (EPL). However, his reputation has been tarnished by his recent failure to win any trophies in charge of Tottenham, and he is eager to redeem himself.

Conte’s Napoli suffered a concerning 0-3 loss to Verona in the first round of Serie A, but have since reeled off six wins and one draw to top the table with 19 points. They retained top spot with a 1-0 win over Empoli in the eighth round on Oct. 20. Second place is Inter (17 points) and third is Juventus (16 points). Conte is known for his defensive tactics, and Napoli has conceded just five goals in eight Serie A games this season. That’s the second fewest conceded behind Juventus (1).

Conte is known for getting the most out of his players, having turned Eden Hazard (retired) into the EPL’s top striker during his time at Chelsea, and Son Heung-min into the first Asian to become the EPL’s top scorer at Tottenham. This season, the formerly inconsistent striker Romelu Lukaku has flourished under Conte, ranking fourth in the league in attacking points (7-3 goals, 4 assists). He is supported by midfielder Scott McTominay, who was brought in from Manchester United. “It’s too early to talk about the title, but we will achieve our goal of rebuilding the team with a solid foundation,” Conte said.

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