Unpicking Antonio Conte’s Jouncy European Record as Napoli Fans Accuse Him of ‘Tanking’ the Champions League

Wednesday’s 2-0 loss in Lisbon complicates Napoli’s path into the last 16, and Antonio Conte must now turn to an all-or-nothing fixture on the horizon against Copenhagen, who are level on seven points and occupy the final playoff spot.

Napoli’s troubling away record in the Champions League of late has now seen them lose five straight games for the first time in the club’s history, and although the trip to Copenhagen is the easier of their two remaining games, form away from home has been the mainspring of their downfall.

Whatever transpires in Denmark is sharply followed by a final matchday showdown against Chelsea a week later, who are battling to break into the automatic qualification spots themselves.

With Napoli’s feeble European record set to continue for another season, fans are understandably frustrated, with performances a far cry from their table-topping form in Serie A.

For a manager who rubs shoulders with the elite – as Antonio Conte undoubtedly does – his reputation is emphatically league-centric. Six titles across England and Italy is a haul most managers can seldom dream of.

Napoli’s quest for back-to-back Scudettos shows no signs of slowing down, but their European campaign has scarcely lifted off the ground.

History has shown this very scenario to be symptomatic of Conte’s teams, so FootItalia explores if Napoli fans are vindicated in their claims that he is ‘tanking’ the Champions League.

Antonio Conte European Record

Considering Antonio Conte has a CV brimming with Champions League and Europa League-level teams, success in those tournaments has been a rarity.

Particularly in Europe’s preeminent competition, Conte has made it past the round of 16 on only one occasion; all the way back in 2012 where he guided Juventus into the quarter-finals, only to lose 4-0 on aggregate to eventual champions Bayern Munich.

Conte has overseen a total of 47 Champions League games, losing as many as he has won (16), while drawing 15.

It is interesting to note that Conte’s sides have been knocked out in the group stage (now the league phase) more than any other point in the competition. Twice he was knocked out in the first stage with Inter, and once with Juve.

He ranks behind a whole host of elite contemporaries when it comes to his points-per-game in the group stage, collecting an average of just 1.53.

The Italian did fare slightly better in the Europa League after masterminding a memorable run to the covid-affected 2020 final, only to lose to competition specialists Sevilla.

Antonio Conte’s League Win Percentage Compared to Europe

There is no doubting Antonio Conte’s ability to win titles, that much is true.

Rarely does the harmony endure more than a few seasons at any given club, but remove the colorful history of incendiary press conferences and public spats and you have one of the most decorated managers in Europe.

Six league titles is no mean feat, and his win percentages in the Premier League – where he ranks behind only to Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson – and Serie A, where he is second, show his peremptory management style is perhaps best suited to gruelling league campaigns.

Fabio Capello offered a brutal assessment of Conte and his European shortcomings following the result in Lisbon, suggesting he is unable to “take risks without being afraid to dare”, while failing to replicate the “serenity and calm” of Serie A football.

Whether it be Conte’s penchant for league football, or simply too many cases of underperforming teams, it is impossible to ignore the fact he has won just a third of his games as a manager in the Champions League.

Napoli remain on a handsome trajectory towards successive Serie A titles for the first time in their history. However, film mogul-turned Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is notoriously truculent, and will not hesitate to remove a manager – or a player for that matter.

As Napoli come to expect silverware and the aspirations of the club continue to skyrocket, fans and the board alike will hope that comes with breaking new ground in European competition.

The chances of that happening this season appear slim, and Conte’s ailing record on the continent may continue to eat away at his otherwise exceptional record so far in Naples.