Napoli Coach Faces Familiar Face For The First Time In Top-Of-Table Serie A Showdown Vs Inter Milan

Napoli coach Antonio Conte will be facing Beppe Marotta as an opponent for the first time as his team take on Inter Milan tomorrow.

This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews.

Conte owes a lot to Marotta for what he is accomplished in his career. And Marotta owes just as much to Conte.

The pair first linked up in 2011 at Juventus.

That was the second year that Marotta was the General Director of Sport for the Bianconeri.

In Marotta’s first season overseeing Juventus’s sporting project, there were plenty of issues. The veteran executive was still learning how to work at a club of that size.

But that led Marotta to make the bold decision to appoint Conte as coach. At that time, Conte had a big reputation from his playing days at Juventus – but was seen as lacking experience as a coach.

A lack of experience was no problem for Conte at Juventus though.

The Bianconeri won three straight Serie A titles in the three seasons where the 54-year-old was at the helm.

Conte benefited from Marotta’s work in the transfer market building him a strong squad.

And the coach paid the executive’s faith in him by building a team in his image.

Napoli Coach Conte Faces Marotta For The First Time Vs Inter

Conte left Juventus in 2014. Max Allegri replaced him, keeping the run of title victories going.

In the meantime, though, Marotta decided to leave the Bianconeri in 2018. Not long after, he joined Inter.

One of Marotta’s first big decisions as CEO at the Nerazzurri was to bring in Conte.

No longer was this a gamble on an unproven coach, however. Marotta was hoping that the appointment of a coach who had done so well with him at Juventus would have a similar effect at Inter.

And, Marotta was more or less right.

Conte shaped Inter completely in his own image, with the help of Marotta in the transfer market.

Inter had two strong seasons, culminating in the Serie A title win in 2021.

But Conte left Inter just as abruptly as he had done Juventus, after that title victory.

Inter appointed Simone Inzaghi as Conte’s replacement. And as Allegri had done at Juventus, Inzaghi has built on Conte’s legacy.

Now, Conte is at Napoli. And he has the Partenopei in a title race with Inter.

But it was not Marotta who brought the 54-year-old to Campania. It was Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Marotta is still at Inter. And Conte will be facing him as an opponent rather than having him as an ally for the first time in his career.