Chelsea should fancy their chances against Napoli in the Champions League tonight — at the very least, a draw feels realistic — and Antonio Conte’s European record tells you why.
For all his domestic brilliance, the Champions League has never been Conte’s comfort zone. He’s crashed out at the group stage twice (Juventus in 2013–14 and Inter in 2020–21), exited in the last 16 with both Chelsea (2017–18) and Tottenham (2022–23), and has reached the quarter-finals just once — 13 years ago with Juventus, who were thrashed 4–0 on aggregate by eventual winners Bayern Munich.
Overall, Conte has managed just 17 wins from 49 Champions League matches — a surprisingly poor return for a coach of his reputation.
There’s no doubt Conte is an elite manager, having conquered the Premier League with Chelsea and Serie A with Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli. But when it comes to Europe’s biggest stage, the numbers don’t lie — and that gives Chelsea real reason to be confident tonight. 💙
