Antonio Conte is prepared for what he believes will probably be an “emotional” return to the Champions League when Napoli tackle Manchester Metropolis.
Conte has not coached within the Champions League for the reason that 2022-23 season, when he was at Tottenham.
Napoli didn’t qualify for final season’s competitors, although Conte took benefit by guiding them to their second Serie A title within the house of two years.
Now, Napoli will change into the fifth completely different group Conte has coached within the Champions League, with Carlo Ancelotti (eight) and Claudio Ranieri (six) the one Italians to take cost of extra golf equipment within the competitors.
“It’s at all times emotional, as that is an important European competitors and it permits us to get again into unbelievable stadiums like this,” Conte mentioned, as quoted by Soccer Italia.
“I used to be already right here for Chelsea and Tottenham, however that is my first time towards Manchester Metropolis in Europe.”
Napoli have by no means received away to an English facet in any European competitors (P12 W0 D3 L9), dropping not less than as soon as towards six of the seven completely different groups they’ve confronted (Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis), with Leicester Metropolis being the one exception (2-2 in Europa League in 2021-22).
“I didn’t know that,” replied Conte when Napoli’s file towards English groups was put to him.
“It’ll actually be a troublesome match, as Manchester Metropolis received virtually the whole lot it was attainable to win over the previous few years. We’re speaking a couple of prime membership with a prime coach.
“We come right here with nice humility, but in addition the need to know not the place we’re proper now, as a result of it’s only the beginning of a mission we began final 12 months, but when we’re rising on schedule.
“It’s inevitable that final season we didn’t have the chance to measure ourselves up in Europe.
“We begin with a giant mountain to climb within the type of Man Metropolis, however we’re desirous to measure ourselves up and likewise be taught from the masters of this match.”
The countdown is on pic.twitter.com/2jrc46PKJ7
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) September 17, 2025
Thursday’s encounter on the Etihad Stadium comes with a number of intriguing subplots, together with Kevin De Bruyne’s return to Metropolis following his departure from the membership on the finish of final season.
De Bruyne recorded 25 assists for Metropolis within the Champions League, 10 greater than another participant for the membership within the competitors.
Metropolis’s Erling Haaland, in the meantime, is one purpose away from reaching 50 within the Champions League, and appears all however assured to set a brand new file for fewest appearances to 50 targets within the competitors.
Haaland has made 48 Champions League appearances, with Ruud van Nistelrooy the present file holder (62 video games).
It’ll additionally mark the eighth assembly between Conte and Pep Guardiola.
Of these with not less than two wins over Guardiola, Conte is one in every of solely three coaches to have received extra typically than he has misplaced, together with Jurgen Klopp (11 wins, 10 defeats) and Luis Enrique (three wins, two defeats).