Sacchi reveals Conte’s ‘greatest victory’ regardless of title win

Arrigo Sacchi feels that Napoli and Antonio Conte’s seasons will be a “masterpiece” regardless of whether they win the Scudetto and reveals the coach’s ‘greatest win.’

The Partenopei have jumped to the top of the table with a three-point lead over second-placed Inter and just four games remaining.

“I know with absolute certainty that nobody could have done better than Conte. I see the reality of Naples, the passion people have for football and for their team and the difficulties they faced last season,” Sacchi wrote in his Gazzetta dello Sport column.

“He’s made sure his players followed him; that’s his greatest victory. Making sure that his players followed him. Seeing him as the captain of the ship who shows the way. It’s not always like that, and I say this as somebody who has spent many years on the bench.

Sacchi called Conte’s season “a masterpiece” and added: “Mind you, this is true even if Napoli don’t win the Scudetto because what has been accomplished over the last nine months can’t be cancelled. The assessment of a coach must consider the overall contribution and their impact on the environment and the players. And when you get the results as well, it just gets better.

“One specific stat deserves analysis because it perfectly shows Conte’s work. Napoli have only conceded 25 goals so far, fewer than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues,” the ex-Milan coach concluded.

“This means Conte has managed to organise the club efficiently, and that everyone contributes to the defensive phase, including midfielders and strikers. It also means that Antonio immediately identified the team’s strength and built on it.”

What Conte said about title race with Napoli

“There are four steps left to take. We took the first, we are in front, now we know full well that we are up against teams like Lecce and Parma fighting to stay in Serie A, then Genoa and Cagliari,” Conte said after a 2-0 win over Torino on Sunday.

“It is all in our hands. We won with great determination, a team aware of its own strengths, and inevitably the crowd pushed us on today as the 12^th or even 13^th man. Even getting to the stadium was difficult, as there were so many fans crowded around.

“They were excited, very determined, trying to pass on all their determination.”