Despite being three points behind leaders Inter Milan in the Serie A title race, manager Antonio Conte stated on Friday that Napoli’s first goal is to qualify for the Champions League after missing out on it the previous season.
After finishing a dismal 10th place the previous season, Napoli—who were crowned champions for the first time in 33 years in the 2022–23 season—hired Conte, who has led a rebirth in Naples, to turn them into title contenders once more.
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Conte encouraged Napoli’s supporters to “continue dreaming” of another championship, but only after ensuring their return to Europe’s top club competition, since the Scudetto could go any way with six games remaining.
“First of all, we have to earn a place in the Champions League.
“Beyond everything else, we will have the opportunity to get closer to a prestigious goal that could not be foreseen at the beginning of the year,” Conte told reporters ahead of Saturday’s trip to Monza.
“But we have said it, we are there, clearly we will try to make as much trouble as possible until the end… We are doing something that goes beyond expectations given what happened last year.
“We have to continue to feed it (our dream) with all our strength.
” It has not been easy so far and there will be other obstacles to overcome.
“We will have to be as good as we have been so far, without excuses.”
But Napoli hasn’t triumphed away from home since January, a five-game losing streak that includes four draws and a 2-1 defeat at Como.
“These are irrefutable facts, then the fact is that we are second, three points behind Inter. Even if we haven’t won for a while, we haven’t lost for a long time – only in Como,” Conte said.
“We have many points and we are second, the result of consistency at home and away. Then maybe we can divide the periods, but the regularity is there and only in this way can we achieve the objectives set.
“We don’t win away from home and we would like to start winning again, this is always our aim.”