Napoli Could Win the Title Through Sheer Force Luck. Why’s That So Bad?

Napoli has failed to win their last two Serie A encounters against two of the league’s minnows. Unbelievably, however, Antonio Conte’s team remains one point ahead of challengers Internazionale with one game to go. This isn’t how fans envisioned a new Scudetto being won. But what would be the harm if this is the way it happens?

Napoli, a Team Punching Above Its Weight

Where would you have placed Napoli in your season predictions at the start of the 2024/25 campaign? Mid-table, or a Conference League challenger? Maybe you’d been generous and dared to view the Naples side as a team capable of catching a top-four finish.

All of these were conservative views. All of these predictions were shared by many in the sports press. And, yes, for the most part, none of them were unjustified.

Antonio Conte found a Napoli team that had struggled desperately in the year prior. The lustre of the 2022 Scudetto had all but been lost.

Besides, the squad was no longer the same. Players like Kim Min-Jae had been sold, and not replaced with someone of the same calibre. Meanwhile, team leaders like Victor Osimhen or Mario Rui were not rated by Conte.

Still, Conte built a strong, hard-working team with far fewer resources than other top clubs. Why shouldn’t some luck arrive for Napoli?

Unfair Early Results

It’s also easy to forget the start of the season. Fans who were already unsure of Antonio Conte complained bitterly about some the manager’s early results.

The season began with a 3-0 defeat to Verona, hardly a Scudetto challenger. Alex Meret and Stanislav Lobotka were particularly poor on the day.

An early victory over Parma felt like the result of chance. And, on the fifth day of the season, Napoli clawed its way to a 0-0 draw against perennial rivals Juventus.

The critics claimed that Conte’s three-at-the-back tactics could not be implemented at Napoli, that he’d stuck stubbornly to it, and that defeats would follow.

In reality, Napoli went on a winning streak, getting 9 victories from 10 matches until the start of November. Why shouldn’t Napoli get some luck?

Players Willing to Sacrifice Themselves

Antonio Conte, it’s been argued, builds cults, not squads. If the players do not end up entirely believing in the manager’s methods, results cannot arrive. That much was obvious in Conte’s time managing Tottenham.

This is the reason why Conte has opted to bring in players like Romelu Lukaku or Scott McTominay. Both faced criticism in the past, and both had something to prove.

The season, whichever it ends, will be remembered for McTominay’s tireless work and goals, for Frank Anguissa’s willingness to play through injury, and for Giovanni Simeone literally jumping headfirst into the ground in order to save possession.

Few players in any of the top leagues work more, or have shown more togetherness. Why shouldn’t they get a break and a bit of luck?

All that Napoli has to do in order to win its fourth Scudetto is to defeat Cagliari on the final day of the season. Yes, Conte’s team drew, surprisingly, against Genoa and Parma in the previous two games.

If the title ends up being decided through sheer luck in Napoli’s favour, tell all the detractors that it couldn’t have happened to a better group of players.