Napoli secured their second Serie A title in three seasons by narrowly defeating Inter Milan with a 2-0 victory at home against Cagliari in a thrilling season finale on Friday.

This victory marked Napoli’s fourth Italian championship and set a record for coach Antonio Conte, who has become the first manager to win Serie A with three different clubs, having previously claimed titles with Inter Milan and Juventus.

“Every individual contributed to this success — yet the coach was the most pivotal figure,” remarked Napoli’s captain, Giovanni Di Lorenzo. “Napoli needed his guidance to regain their place at the summit. He is remarkable.” When comparing this title to his three Serie A victories with Juventus, one at Inter, and a Premier League title with Chelsea, Conte, 55, noted that it was “the most surprising, the most difficult, and the most fulfilling in terms of the challenge.” “It has occurred once more, and it is genuinely amazing,” Conte stated. “As I approached the stadium, stepping inside was hard, as I couldn’t estimate how many fans were there. “I briefly thought that if we let these supporters down, it would be a weight we would bear for a long time.”

Entering the final matchday, Napoli held a one-point lead over defending champions Inter, and for a brief moment, it seemed the title might remain in Milan during the first half.

Inter took an early lead against Como in the 20th minute of a match that was played concurrently with Napoli’s game. However, it was Conte’s two significant summer acquisitions who ensured the Scudetto returned to Naples. Scott McTominay soared to redirect a cross from Matteo Politano in the 42nd minute, marking his 12th goal of the season after his transfer from Manchester United. Following that, Romelu Lukaku, who joined from Chelsea in August, skillfully controlled a long pass and maneuvered past two defenders before scoring in the 51st minute. This was Lukaku’s 14th goal, and he also leads the league with 10 assists. This outcome of the result meant that Inter’s 2-0 victory over 10-man Como was not enough for the Nerazzurri.

Napoli won the title by just one point, sparking celebrations at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, which is named after the legendary player who helped Napoli secure their first two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.

Conte watched the game from the stands after being sent off last weekend. However, he joined the players on the field after the final whistle and hugged Lukaku, with whom he also won Serie A at Inter in 2021.

Scott McTominay fell to the ground in tears when the match ended. A few minutes later, he was celebrated as the Serie A player of the season.

The Napoli players held up signs that said “Again,” with a “4” to represent their fourth title.

Napoli fan started cheering and singing hours before the game began and continued to celebrate at the final whistle, both in the stadium and in the city’s main squares, where the match was shown on big screens.

After the glory days of Maradona faded, Napoli finally ended a 23-year wait to win the Scudetto when a team led by Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia achieved victory in 2023.

Despite finishing 10th last season, Conte has brought them back to the top of Italian soccer. While a few coaches have won Serie A with two different teams, no one has done it with three, although there is a notable exception.

Fabio Capello won league titles with AC Milan (four times) and Roma before guiding Juventus to consecutive victories in 2005 and 2006, but those titles were taken away due to the Calciopoli refereeing scandal.

Conte took over a team that had just come off a terrible season, having one of the worst title defenses ever and going through three coaches.

Turning the team back into a title contender is arguably one of Conte’s greatest accomplishments.

After losing their first match to Hellas Verona, Napoli bounced back by winning eight of their next nine games and then went on to win seven straight from mid-December to the start of February.

Despite the departure of star winger Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain in January, Napoli has continued to thrive, suffering only one defeat since his exit.

With Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen — who was loaned to Galatasaray last summer — absent, Conte has found motivation in Lukaku and McTominay, while establishing the strongest defense in Serie A.

Napoli has benefited from not qualifying for European soccer this season and faced elimination in the Coppa Italia during the round of 16, while their main rivals, Inter, advanced to the UEFA Champions League final and the Coppa Italia semifinals.

Napoli is set to return to Europe’s top competition, with a big summer ahead to strengthen a thin squad.
Inter, who were recently aiming for a treble, will now focus on the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 31.