FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Napoli v Fiorentina - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - March 9, 2025 Napoli coach Antonio Conte during the match REUTERS/Ciro De Luca/File Photo
(Reuters) - Second-placed Napoli are feeling the heat in the Serie A title race as they host AC Milan on Sunday with Antonio Conte's side having struggled since the departure of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January after only one win in their last seven league matches.
Conte has more than once expressed his frustration over the Georgia international's departure, having viewed Kvaratskhelia as a key figure in Napoli's future. The demanding coach has struggled to find a player capable of filling the winger's role.
Without the speedy playmaker Napoli have lost top spot to Inter Milan, who are three points clear with nine rounds left.
The Naples side face a Milan team on Sunday whose coach Sergio Conceicao is under pressure in a match that could help determine the trajectory of the final stretch for both clubs.
While Napoli remain in contention for the Scudetto, Milan’s campaign is on the verge of being defined as a failure.
Conceicao's side sit ninth in the table, six points behind Bologna, who currently occupy the fourth and final Champions League place. The bright spot for the Portuguese manager is that he again has a full squad to choose from for the clash.
TUDOR'S JUVE
Inter can strengthen their position atop Serie A when they host Udinese earlier on Sunday. After a season spent chasing Napoli, they have opened up a gap with a total of 64 points.
Udinese should present a manageable challenge, with Inter having four straight league wins over them, but the Nerazzurri may lack their usual attacking firepower as Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram are likely to be sidelined due to injuries.
With key defenders Denzel Dumfries and Stefan de Vrij also unavailable, manager Simone Inzaghi will be left to test whether they have the squad depth to carry them through the final stretch of the season, as they aim to win another Scudetto.
Juve start their new era under manager Igor Tudor with a home match against Genoa on Saturday. The Turin club sacked Thiago Motta following two consecutive heavy defeats in a disappointing season, with the side fifth in the standings.
Former Juve player Tudor will have until the end of season to prove he can lead the "Old Lady' next term.
The challenges are mounting for the Croatian, who remains without key defensive players Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal and Andrea Cambiaso, as he looks to bring stability to a side that has rotated personnel and positions throughout the season.
GASPERINI ERA
For Atalanta, who visit Fiorentina on Sunday, the mood suggests a bittersweet ending to a successful era under Gian Piero Gasperini, who has said he will not renew his deal beyond next season after a nine-year spell at the club.
Speculation in Italian media has linked the 67-year-old with a move to either AS Roma or Juve next term if things do not work out with Tudor. Meanwhile, Thiago Motta and Maurizio Sarri are reportedly being considered as successors in Bergamo.
Atalanta remain outside contenders in the Scudetto race, sitting third with 58 points, but the media focus has been on Gasperini's future more than the club's ambitions this term.
"There's always a beginning and an end. What lies in between is the journey, which is often the most beautiful part," Gasperini said recently, adding that he was focused on ending the season at Atalanta on a high note.
He has already taken the club to several top-three finishes and delivered a Europa League title in May.
"Am I looking for a house in Rome or Turin? For now, my home is in Bergamo. The present is what matters, and there are still nine league matches to play," he said.
Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui is doubtful for the Fiorentina clash after struggling with a muscle injury.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
