Napoli head coach Antonio Conte believes the team should treat their Champions League experience as a "school" and fully "absorb" the lessons it offers. He wants the club to carefully assess their position in the tournament, viewing this season's European campaign as a new journey. Conte has also called for patience, emphasising that the season will largely depend on how quickly the new players settle and integrate into the team.
Former AC Milan and Juventus coach Fabio Capello believes that while Napoli midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay are both top players with excellent qualities, their skill sets differ and could potentially overlap, leading to an imbalance in the squad. The Serie A champions sit joint-top of the table and picked up a first Champions League win of the season last week, but some doubts over the gelling of the squad remain.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of Great Britain in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
"Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism," said Diego Maradona. When he played for Napoli in the more prosperous northern cities like Milan and Turin, he and his team-mates would be subjected to banners reading 'Welcome to Italy'; 'Napoli, cholera sufferers' or 'Vesuvius, wash them with fire'.
Rasmus Hojlund is in line for a reunion with Scott McTominay as Napoli are reportedly attempting to hijack AC Milan's move for the Manchester United striker. Antonio Conte had placed his faith in Romelu Lukaku to lead Napoli’s title defence, but that plan is in tatters after the Belgian powerhouse pulled up with a thigh problem in a pre-season clash with Olympiakos. The injury will rule him out for around three months, leaving Napoli scrambling to find a reliable replacement.
Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has opened up on moving out of his "comfort zone" and playing in a different country. McTominay joined Napoli last summer and in his maiden season in Italy, he scored 13 goals and helped his side win the Serie A title. He was also named the league's Player of the Season and became a crowd favourite.
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