Antonio Conte redirected focus from the transfer market to Napoli's first home game of the season as they aim to get their campaign back on track.

Conte, who took charge of Gli Azzurri in June, watched on as his side lost 3-0 to Hellas Verona last week, prompting questions about the club's ambitions in the market.

The club have made four signings so far, with their most recent addition coming earlier this week as David Neres joined from Benfica in a £23.8million deal. 

Napoli are also in talks to sign Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku, with striker Victor Osimhen reportedly going the other way. 

However, Conte was in no mood to talk about potential incomings ahead of facing Bologna this weekend, saying: "Let's redirect the press conference immediately.

"Last week we had a press conference where we spoke only about the transfer market.

"I received zero questions about Verona, or maybe one. There was no talk of football, and then what happened, happened.

"Regarding the market you need to ask the club, but I see you are quite informed because I also read about it through you.

"Let's focus everything around the game, it's more important for me."

Napoli are aiming to improve on their 10th place finish in Serie A last season, having won the Scudetto the previous year under Luciano Spalletti. 

But their wastefulness in front of goal proved costly against Verona, with only four of their 14 shots on target at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi. 

During the 2023-24 campaign, they scored 55 goals, 34 fewer than champions Inter and 22 less than they managed during their title-winning season. 

Conte had previously mentioned the need for reconstruction at the club, with their defeat against Verona underlining their areas for improvement. 

"Maybe it was good that this blow came immediately, it brought us back to reality, me, the club and fans, the players perhaps," Conte said.

"What makes me happy is to have perceived that the players understood what happened, I saw in them great motivation to start again and get out of these difficulties.

"When things go well, everyone is good. In difficulties, you see real men. We can also lose, but not in that way."

Napoli's defeat in their first Serie A match of the season was their first since the 2015-16 campaign, and only once in the three points for a win era have they registered two losses in their first two league games (2000-01 under Zdenek Zeman). 

And Conte faces a difficult task to get their first points on the board, with Bologna, who qualified for the Champions League last year, the visitors to Naples. 

But the 55-year-old Italian was keen to put their opening day humbling behind them and focus on putting things right on home soil. 

"I understand the difficulties, the second half in Verona can leave an aftermath, but we don't have time, not on the pitch and not in the stands," he said.

"There is an important game, three points, and all of us have to send a signal."

David Neres has completed a permanent move from Benfica to Napoli, the Serie A club confirmed on Wednesday. 

Neres, who scored 17 times across a two-year spell with the Portuguese side, has signed for a reported £23.8m fee with add-ons potentially increasing that to £25.5m.

The Brazilian registered 15 goal involvements (five goals and 10 assists) for Benfica last year as they finished second in the Primeira Liga and won the Portuguese Super Cup. 

He created 31 chances in the league last season, while also completing 34 dribbles, a total only bettered by Joao Neves (41), Rafa (51) and Angel Di Maria (55). 

Neres has been brought in to provide creativity and goals from the wide positions alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with Napoli netting 55 times in Serie A last season, 34 less than champions Inter. 

The 27-year-old becomes Gli Azzurri's third signing of the transfer window following the arrivals of Alessandro Buongiorno and Rafa Marin, with it expected they will complete a deal for Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku in the coming days.

After failing to defend their Serie A crown last season, Napoli welcome Bologna to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this Sunday in their opening league game. 

Antonio Conte apologised to Napoli's supporters after his side were humbled 3-0 at Verona in Serie A, taking responsibility for Sunday's opening loss.

Conte and Napoli endured a dreadful start to the campaign as Verona scored three goals in the second half, with the 2023 Scudetto champions unable to prevent the hosts from creating a plethora of chances.

Dailon Livramento opened the scoring after 50 minutes before a late double from substitute Daniel Mosquera condemned Conte to a torrid start in his first game back in charge of Napoli.

"We immediately let Verona have a shot at the start of the second half, and in the second instance we went behind," Conte told Sky Sports Italia.

"Then we melted like snow in the sun. What I feel like saying is that we should apologise to the Neapolitan supporters, who follow us with such passion. I am the coach and it is right that I take full responsibility."

Conte acknowledged serious work would be needed to bring Napoli up to the standard he aimed for.

"[It was] a performance that shows we need to work hard in every aspect," the Italian added. "I came to Napoli with lots of enthusiasm, with great desire. If I can help Napoli, I will."

The 55-year-old coach is desperate to seek additional reinforcements before the transfer window closes.

"On the market, one, two, three, four could arrive, as many as the club want to sign," the former Chelsea manager continued. "The problems must be faced head-on, and they are not necessarily easy issues to fix."

That transfer frustration may centre around Victor Osimhen, who appears set to leave Naples, as the striker's exit continues to block Conte from adding to his squad.

"This is a question you should ask the club and not me," Conte said of Osimhen's future. "I see that Osimhen has trained separately. You should ask the club, absolutely not me.

"I said it straight away, I was a spectator on this matter. But beyond a single player, you definitely need to have a different attitude, with more personality, more desire."

Napoli's Serie A season began in calamitous fashion on Sunday as they were thrashed 3-0 by Verona, also losing star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to injury.

Antonio Conte, overseeing his first league game in charge of the 2023 Scudetto winners, was forced to withdraw Kvaratskhelia just before half-time after the Georgian collided with Pawel Dawidowicz.

Napoli's problems mounted after the break when Dailon Livramento got in front of their defence to slot home from close range and give the hosts the lead.

The nightmare continued for Napoli after 75 minutes as substitute Daniel Mosquera received a throughball and calmly slotted his finish past Alex Meret.

With Napoli throwing men forward late on, Verona added some gloss to the scoreline as Mosquera claimed his brace, tapping home a cutback from Darko Lazovic for his brace.

Data Debrief: Conte's perfect record ends

After a dismal 2023-24 season that saw Napoli, as defending champions, go through three head coaches and finish 10th in Serie A, hopes were high that Conte's arrival would herald an instant upturn.

However, the Partenopei were stunned in his first league game at the helm, as he started a season as a Serie A manager with a defeat for the very first time.

He had previously registered five wins and one draw on matchday one in the competition.

Napoli must have realistic expectations for the 2024-25 Serie A season during a period of reconstruction, so says Antonio Conte.

Conte took over in June, after Napoli went through three different coaches last season when, after winning the Scudetto under Luciano Spalletti in 2023, they followed that up by failing to qualify for European competition.

Former Italy boss Conte, who won four Serie A titles with Juventus and Inter, along with a Premier League title at Chelsea, wants patience from the club and the fans going into the new season.

"Our mantra is to give 200%, we have to go beyond our limits, all of us, because it is a critical moment for Napoli, the president spoke of reconstruction," Conte told reporters ahead of Napoli's opening game against Verona on Sunday.

"I have made my assessments and I agree with him perfectly; there is a need for a total reconstruction, from the ground up.

"A squad that puts 10-12 players on the market, means that there is a reconstruction underway and like any reconstruction we need patience and humility."

When Conte took charge at Juventus in 2011, they had finished seventh the previous season and he immediately led them to three consecutive league titles, but he does not expect such a quick turnaround at Napoli.

"I expected a better situation, positive surprises, which is why when I spoke at the beginning I said, even after such a negative year we must not throw everything away but let's understand if there are also positive things," Conte said.

"I expected positive surprises, but I had a hard time finding any. But you arrive and there are nine-10 exits.

"We are not saying that we are at year zero but at the year very close to zero. It doesn't scare me but it's better to be clear, when there is reality and clarity you know where to go and what problems to face."

Conte declined to speak about Victor Osimhen, who is expected to be left out of the squad for Verona, with the Nigerian forward likely to leave the club during this transfer window, and he warned it would take time to get Napoli back to the top.

"I don't know how long it will take for Napoli to become competitive again, whether it takes six months, 12, two years, I couldn't say."

Napoli club director Giovanni Manna confirmed Victor Osimhen has requested to leave ahead of the new season.

The Nigerian was left out of Napoli's squad for their Coppa Italia first-round clash with Modena on Saturday as Antonio Conte's men drew 0-0 with the Serie B side before edging into the next round 4-3 on penalties thanks to Alex Meret's heroics in the penalty shoot-out.

Osimhen was initially linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, who reportedly pulled out of a potential deal due to his price tag.

However, Chelsea have emerged as a choice for the striker, as the Blues are interested in making a swap deal with him and out-of-favour Romelu Lukaku.

Although no negotiations have emerged just yet, Manna confirmed it is likely that Osimhen will not be donning a Napoli shirt this season.

"Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club," Manna said. "He wants to go.

"The situation is clear, there were already chances for his exit last summer. Victor wants to leave.

"We will see in the next 20 days."

Meanwhile, Conte was left frustrated by his side's performance in their 0-0 draw with Modena as they just managed to avoid an early upset.

Napoli had 28 shots against Modena, but only six were on target as they created an expected goals (xG) of just 1.37.

They were calling out for a player with Osimhen's goal-scoring ability, and Conte admitted they needed to make a big improvement in the final third ahead of their first Serie A game.

"We have to keep working and we could have given a few more goals to the fans," Conte said after the game.

"There is a lot of work to do on the pitch and also for the club. There are objective things that I don't want to underline.

"Tonight was a nice dose of reality for everyone."

Napoli will kick off their Serie A campaign against Verona next Sunday.

Former Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci has backed Antonio Conte to make Napoli one of the main contenders in Serie A next season.

Conte returned to management after a 15-month absence by signing a three-year contract with the Partenopei last month.

Napoli won the Scudetto in 2022-23 with five games to spare after storming to the title, but followed that up by finishing 10th last season, outside the extended European places.

After Luciano Spalletti's departure in 2023, the club went through three head coaches last season, with both Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri being fired before Francesco Calzona oversaw the last few months of their underwhelming title challenge.

Gianluigi Buffon believes Napoli will finish in the top two this season, and Bonucci agreed with his former Juventus team-mate that Conte will make all the difference.

"Napoli couldn't have made a better choice after the year they've had," Bonucci told Sky Italia.

"They've taken on a world-class coach; he teaches you everything about football and gives you the right knowledge.

"The squad is strong and full of quality. Being able to work with them all week, he [Conte] will do really well."

Conte's first competitive game in charge of Napoli will be their Coppa Italia tie against Modena on August 10. 

Inter have confirmed the signing of Piotr Zielinski on a free transfer following his departure from Napoli.

Zielinski had been widely expected to join the Nerazzurri after running down his contract with Napoli, who he helped to the Scudetto in 2022-23.

The Poland international joined the Partenopei for €16million in 2016 following spells with Udinese and Empoli, making 364 appearances for the club throughout a distinguished eight-year spell.

The 30-year-old has now penned a four-year contract with Simone Inzaghi's Serie A champions and is hoping to help them compete for more silverware next term.

He told the club's website: "I will try to give it my all to make the fans happy, they are fantastic and San Siro is one of the best grounds in Italy. 

"I will do my best to show my skills and bring other trophies to the club. I am very happy because I'm joining one of the best sides in the world. It is an honour, I can't wait to get started."

Zielinski will not be the only new face at San Siro, with former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi set to arrive as a free agent and Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez reportedly close to joining in a €13m deal.

Antonio Conte is relishing the "challenge" of the Napoli job and has promised the fans a "seriousness" in his approach to getting the club back among the contenders in Serie A.

The Italian, who returned to management after a 15-month absence following his departure from Tottenham, was unveiled to the fans for the first time after signing a three-year contract with the club earlier this month.

The Partenopei won the Scudetto with five games to spare in 2022-23 but could not follow that success up last season as they stumbled through their title defence.

Napoli went through three managers last season after Luciano Spalletti’s departure in June 2023, with Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri getting fired before Calzona oversaw the last few months of the campaign.

In the end, they finished 10th, outside the extended European places, with Conte confident Napoli will get back on top form.

"It'll take time and patience. I am of the 'those who have time don't wait for time'," Conte said. "We will try in every way to take this responsibility. This is the project. It gave me great enthusiasm, I felt something in my stomach.

"Definitely a challenge that comes at the right time. I think I'm a coach who has gained experience, which leads me to face this fascinating challenge with great desire. One person asked me: 'But aren't you afraid to go and coach Napoli?' Afraid of what?

"For me, it's a pleasure, knowing the difficulty of the challenge. Those who know me know that no one has ever given me anything. Ever. What I have won, I always won with sweat and sacrifice. It's what my parents taught me, and it's what I try to pass on to my daughter and my players.

"I know that this challenge comes at the right time for me as a person because I really want to enjoy this passion and enthusiasm.

"Because for me the difficult thing will be to change this enthusiasm and this passion, but I'm convinced that I can do it because I will put everything I have into it, as I have done in the past. That is clear."

Napoli fans became restless with their season as they won just 13 of their matches and finished on 53 points, 37 fewer than they won under Spalletti in his final year.

"What I can promise is seriousness, a word that is often underestimated. Seriousness in giving everything for Napoli, in transmitting my culture at work, my mentality.

"The transmission of my footballing ideas. The goal of a coach, besides excelling, is to make his fans proud.

"But in defeat, there mustn't be the extenuating circumstance of not having given our best. What I can promise is that we'll give our best, more than our best, because sometimes the best is not enough."

Napoli insist Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is not on the market after his agent Mamuka Jugeli claimed he is looking to leave the club. 

The Georgia international, who is preparing for his country's Euro 2024 opener against Turkiye on Tuesday, has been linked with a move to both Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in the current transfer window. 

Kvaratskhelia scored 11 times in the league in 2023-24, as the Partenopei finished 10th in what was a disappointing defence of their third Serie A crown. 

"We want to leave Napoli, but now we're all waiting for the Euro 2024," Jugeli told Sport Imedi last week. "With [Antonio] Conte, Napoli have big plans.

"I'm sure they will qualify for the Champions League again next season and fight for the Scudetto. But that doesn't mean Kvaratskhelia wants to stay there, I don't mean it.

"I didn't talk with Khvicha about this issue, the most important thing for him is the national team. Our goal is the team that plays in the Champions League.

"The worst thing is that if he stays here, Khvicha will lose one year because of that… we are worried."

However, Napoli have hit back with a statement of their own, citing the fact Kvaratskhelia has three years remaining on his contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. 

It read: "In reference to the statements of Kvaratskhelia's agent, Mamuka Jugeli, and his father Badri, Calcio Napoli reiterates that the player has a contract for another three years with the club.

"Kvaratskhelia is not on the market. It is not the agents or fathers who decide the future of a player under contract with Napoli but the club!!! End of the story."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia vowed he would continue to make Napoli fans happy, amid speculation linking him with a move away from the Serie A side.

The Georgia winger is reportedly on the radar of reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, after two seasons at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Kvaratskhelia played a key role as Napoli won the Scudetto in 2022-23, with 12 goals and a league-high 10 assists.

He was also one of the Partenopei's standout performers during their disappointing title defence last term, in which they finished 10th, as he still managed to register 11 goals and six assists. 

The 23-year-old, who is gearing up to feature in Georgia's major tournament debut at Euro 2024, feels he has a "big responsibility" to reciprocate the support he has received - for club and country.

"I feel so much affection in Naples, and first of all, I would like to say that the people who are at my side and support me are helping me a lot, and it is a great responsibility," he told Georgian media in quotes reported by journalist Kakha Dgebuadze.

"This is a very big responsibility, because when a person appreciates you and loves you - whether you are on or off the field - you have to respect and justify their hopes.

"I also work hard and do everything to make my fans happy. I will do everything not only for the fans there [in Naples], but also for Georgia. I will continue to try to do more and make my fans happier."

Antonio Conte is back in management after being named the new head coach at Napoli.

The former Juventus and Italy boss replaces the outgoing Francesco Calzona, signing a three-year deal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Conte returns to the dugout 15 months after leaving Premier League side Tottenham by mutual consent, and will hope to oversee an improvement on a disappointing 2023-24 season for Napoli.

Scudetto winners the previous year, the Partenopei were unable to launch a genuine title defence, finishing 10th in a campaign where they had three different coaches, firing Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri before Calzona came in.

Conte won three successive Serie A titles between 2012 and 2014 with Juventus, while guiding Inter to the Scudetto three years ago. The former midfielder also led Chelsea to Premier League glory in 2017.

Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis said: "I am very proud that the new coach of Napoli is Antonio Conte. 

"Antonio is a top coach, a leader, with whom I am sure that the necessary refoundation will start after the conclusion of the cycle that led us to win the Scudetto last year after many seasons at the top of Italian football. 

"Today marks the beginning of a new important chapter in the history of Napoli."

Conte, meanwhile, told the club's website: "Napoli is a place of global importance. I'm happy and excited to sit on the Azzurri bench. 

"I can certainly promise one thing: I will do my best for the growth of the team and the club. My commitment, together with that of my staff, will be total."

Napoli missed out on their slim chance to participate in Europe next season after being held to a 0-0 home draw by Lecce in their final Serie A game of the campaign on Sunday.

After a lacklustre first half, Napoli had chances to win the game in the second, with Cyril Ngonge coming closest when he rattled the crossbar.

Patrick Dorgu had already given the Azzurri a scare just nine minutes in, firing Lecce's first shot off Alex Meret's post.

Napoli had to win to climb to ninth place, but instead, finished below Torino, who lost 3-0 to recently crowned Europa League champions Atalanta, due to their head-to-head record.

Torino could now earn a Europa Conference League play-off spot if Fiorentina beat Olympiacos in that final on Wednesday. 

Data Debrief: Napoli's season fizzles out

Napoli finished the season on 53 points - it is the second-worst return for a team that started the season as Serie A reigning champions in the three-point-per-win era after Milan in 1996-97 (43). 

After scoring in each of their 12 home matches against Lecce in Serie A prior to Sunday's match, Napoli failed to find the back of the net against them for the first time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Dethroned Italian champions Napoli's hopes of playing European football next season are hanging by a thread after they played out a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.

Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute through defender Amir Rrahmani, who nodded home a corner by Matteo Politano.

Cristiano Biraghi levelled for Fiorentina in the 40th minute from a free-kick, before M'Bala Nzola put the hosts in front two minutes later when he fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia responded with another stunning free-kick early in the second half to rescue a point for his team.

Eighth-placed Fiorentina, on 54 points and with a game in hand, are five points behind Lazio in seventh.

They can still earn a Europa League spot either by leapfrogging the Rome side or by winning the Europa Conference League final in which they face Greece's Olympiakos on May 29.

Ninth-placed Napoli, on 52 points, still have a slim chance of making the Europa Conference League playoffs.

Data Debrief

Fiorentina left-back Biraghi has now scored six goals from direct free-kicks since the start of 2021-22, which is behind only James Ward-Prowse (seven) - now of West Ham and formerly of Southampton - as the most across Europe's top five leagues in that period.

Kvaratskhelia also levelled via a direct free-kick, making this the first Serie A match in which both teams scored via that route since Fiorentina against Lazio in April 2018 (Jordan Veretout and Luis Alberto in that case).

Napoli's Serie A title defence has long since ended, and they must beat Fiorentina on Friday to have any hope of playing in Europe next season.

Napoli strolled to the Scudetto last year, clinching the title with five games to spare and finishing 16 points ahead of runners-up Lazio.

This time around, it was Inter who wrapped up the league with five games remaining, while Napoli sit ninth in the standings, 41 points adrift of the leaders with a Europa Conference League spot their only hope of playing in Europe.

Napoli are without a win in their last five games, though even if they can get back to winning ways, their European hopes would be out of their own hands due to having played a game more than Fiorentina.

Fiorentina have won three of their last five league matches, and won the previous meeting between the sides 3-1, which could prove vital they end the season level on points and the head-to-head record comes into play.

Vincenzo Italiano's side have already qualified for this season's Europa Conference League final, where they face Greek side Olympiacos in Athens. 

The Viola, unbeaten in Europe this season, are aiming to end the league campaign on a high and take that momentum into the final - they are looking to go one better than last year when they lost to West Ham in the final.

Napoli are likely to be without top scorer Victor Osimhen, who is a serious doubt due to a muscular problem. Fiorentina, meanwhile, welcome back Andre Belotti who missed Monday's win over Monza.