With Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea squad leaving west London for the ancient city of Naples this week, they may feel as though they are flying away from one storm and into another.
Britain woke on Monday morning to Met Office warnings that Storm Chandra would sweep across the country, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and snow across much of the UK.
Down on the Bay of Naples, however, the weather is the least of the concerns.
Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is fighting to keep his squad together as a season threatens to turn sour, undermined by a damaging injury list and a run of inconsistent results.
Napoli’s erratic form has already seen them suffer five defeats in Serie A this season – one more than across the entirety of last year’s title-winning campaign – while in the Champions League they sit 25th in the table and on the brink of elimination. Their final league-phase game against Chelsea is the thin thread keeping those European hopes alive.
‘What I told the boys is that nobody gets off the boat,’ Conte said on Sunday. ‘The boat is out at sea in a storm, but nobody gets off. We all have to be good at handling this moment, which has been on for a while.
Napoli’s erratic form has already seen them suffer five defeats in Serie Athis season while in the Champions League they sit 25th in the table and on the brink of elimination
Conte warned on Sunday: ‘The boat is out at sea in a storm, but nobody gets off. We all have to be good at handling this moment, which has been on for a while’
Just over six months ago clinched their fourth league title amid dramatic scenes, courtesy of an airborne scissor-kick from former Manchester United academy graduate McTominay
‘The storm is not over, and it won’t be anytime soon, so let’s all get ready, and what we must do is not lose confidence, not lose self-belief, not lose enthusiasm. The very things that have set us apart so far, because up to now, extraordinary things have been done, while dealing with very serious situations.’
Conte even went so far as to describe the current situation as an ’emergency’, warning that it will not end soon – not even if they manage to squeeze past the familiar faces within Rosenior’s Blues side and into the knock-out stages of Europe’s elite competition.
So where is it all going wrong for the reigning Serie A champions, who just over six months ago clinched their fourth league title amid dramatic scenes, courtesy of an airborne scissor-kick from former Manchester United academy graduate Scott McTominay?
Firstly, it is fair to say that Conte has been grappling with understanding it himself.
In November, Italian reporters said the enigmatic coach was set for crisis talks with the club’s hierarchy after a tempestuous press conference in which he said he did not ‘want to accompany a dead person’. After the league defeat Conte also claimed his side were still basking in the glories of their triumphs from the previous campaign.
‘If you lose five games, it means that something is not going right,’ he said at the time. ‘Something needs to be done, because I don’t want to accompany a dead person, I am the first eventually and take responsibility.
‘Last year we did something extraordinary and of absolute value, now we are continuing to work but we have to ask ourselves how, if there is the right enthusiasm and desire or we are basking in the victory of the past and we think we are favourites.
‘We certainly don’t have the energy of last season, the boys know very well what I think about it. I’m sorry that I’m not managing to change this trend in the four months that have passed, because it means that I’m not doing a good job or someone doesn’t want to hear it.’
Former Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne arrived in sparkling form, but his momentum was halted by a hamstring tearwhile taking a penalty at the end of October
Romelu Lukaku has been out with an injury for seven months – and returned at the weekend
Napoli supporters party late into the night on the streets of the southern Italian city in May
Meanwhile, Conte has also had to contend with a raft of injuries to key players – and the subsequent knock-on effect on those remaining.
Former Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne arrived in sparkling form, delivering one of the best starts to a season of his career for his new side, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 11 appearances. It left many wondering whether Pep Guardiola’s side had released their midfield giant a year too early.
That momentum was halted by an unexpected injury to the 34-year-old, who tore his hamstring while taking a penalty at the end of October – and he has not been seen since.
Elsewhere, last season’s top scorer Romelu Lukaku has also been absent for the entirety of the campaign after suffering a muscle injury last June. He returned on Sunday for the 3-0 defeat against Juventus.
Scotsman Billy Gilmour, whose heroic status last campaign was surpassed only by compatriot Scott McTominay, has also missed more than 20 matches with a groin issue.
Former Fulham midfielder Frank Anguissa, another pivotal member of the Scudetto-winning squad, has been sidelined since November.
That has left the likes of McTominay – whose first season in blue ended cloaked in every possible glory, including a Ballon d’Or nomination – to shoulder the burden.
The midfielder’s adjustment to life in Naples last season was seamless, aided by reunions with former United team-mate Lukaku and close friend and international colleague Gilmour.
Scott McTominay and his girlfriend Cam Reading are loving life in Italy after he joined Napoli
The pair have been exploring the possibilities that life in southern Italy has to offer
One pizza restaurant run by a fan even places McTominay above the region’s famed cuisine
Conte unleashed the Scot in an attacking midfield role, and Napoli’s success hinged on his electric form, which earned him icon status in the football-mad city. He was dubbed McFratm – roughly translating to McBro in Neapolitan slang – and a painting of his face even appeared in a shrine in the heart of the city.
‘Napoli. McTominay. Pizza. In that order,’ read a huge club flag draped across the wall of one fan-owned restaurant. Another supporter had his number and ‘McFratm’ tattooed on his leg.
Beyond his performances on the pitch, McTominay has endeared himself to locals by sharing pictures alongside his girlfriend, Cam Reading, of the pair enjoying southern Italy – as well as gushing about the region’s food culture.
‘Oh my goodness, the tomatoes. I never ate them at home, they’re just red water,’ he told the Athletic last year. ‘Here, they actually taste like tomatoes. Now I eat them as a snack. I eat all the vegetables, all of the fruits. It is all so fresh. It’s incredible.’
Where McTominay had largely escaped criticism for this season’s dip in form – he is once again Napoli’s second-highest goalscorer with five – that goodwill appeared to run out following the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Juventus at the weekend. Italian reports described him as ‘invisible’ and ‘a shadow of the player who dominated the autumn’.
Former Manchester United team-mate Rasmus Hojlund has also enjoyed something of a renaissance at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. The 22-year-old, who joined United in a £72m move from Atalanta in 2023, has scored nine goals since arriving on a season-long loan.
Last month, Hojlund posted a picture after winning the Italian Super Cup with the caption: ‘What a great decision looks like.’ But the striker’s form alone and the rarity of that single triumph hasn’t been enough to hit pause on the chaos.
Hojlund won the Italian Super Cup last month and said it was ‘what a great decision looks like’
Conte was left furious when Inter were awarded a second half penalty and booted a ball away
And Conte, too, has continued to stoke the fires, repeatedly airing his frustrations both on and off the pitch.
Most recently, the Italian was sent off and handed a two-match touchline ban after an explosive reaction to a controversial penalty decision against Inter Milan, angrily kicking a ball away, screaming at the fourth official and later throwing a bottle to the ground as he was dismissed.
‘We play Chelsea on Wednesday, not the last-placed team, and then Fiorentina comes two and a half days later,’ Conte said, with a note of resignation. ‘We’ll be the same team as before; no one’s recovering. Those who were supposed to be back have extended their time.’
Whether Napoli stay afloat or finally take on water may depend on whether Conte’s storm-tossed ship can hold it together for one more night.
