Italian Agent Stefano Antonelli: “Inter Milan Have The Strongest Squad But Napoli Have Closed The Gap By Hiring Antonio Conte” | OneFootball

Italian football agent Stefano Antonelli believes that Inter Milan’s greatest challenge in their defence of the Serie A title comes from Napoli, particularly after the arrival of coach Antonio Conte.

In an interview with Tuttomercatoweb, Antonelli argued that the Nerazzurri still maintained the strongest squad in the Italian top flight and were well-equipped to win the title again this season, having been victorious last term.

However, Napoli’s decision to appoint Conte, a title-winning coach at Inter himself in 2021, meant that the gap between the league’s two most recent champions had closed considerably and it made for a tight race.

“The campaign still seems to me to still be in a bit of a settling in period, especially for the big teams, who have not found consistency,” Antonelli said.

“Inter have a very strong squad, but with Antonio Conte, Napoli have closed the gap from the point of view of the organisation of the game and their mentality.

“AC Milan, on the other hand, have their ups and downs, but won against Real Madrid and pulled itself out of a strange situation.”

Conte ended an 11-year wait for a league title at Inter after guiding the Nerazzurri to the crown in 2021, before departing the same summer.

The former Italy, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur coach had previously won the Serie A title three times whilst at Juventus.