Selling the dual cores to win the championship? Conte s tactical revolution shocked the football world, 30 million abandoned players slapped the Manchester United management in the face

In the early morning of May 24, the 2024-25 Serie A ushered in an epic finale. Napoli beat Cagliari 2-0 at the Maradona Stadium, beat Inter Milan with a 1-point advantage, and regained the league championship after two years. This victory not only made the club's two championships in three years, but also made head coach Conte the first legendary coach to lead three different teams, Juventus (3 times), Inter Milan (1 time) and Naples (1 time) to the top of the Apennines. The ultimate game between the two champions in the championship is suffocating in the pre-match standings: Napoli leads 81 points, and Inter Milan follows 80 points. In the final round of the showdown, although the Nerazzurri defeated Como 2-0, the Sky Blues scored with McTominay's exquisite side hook in the 42nd minute and Lukaku's single riding in the 51st minute to secure the victory, and firmly grasped his destiny in his own hands. This victory completely dissipated the suspense brought by the last round of dramatic draw (Napoli 0-0 Parma and Inter Milan tied 2-2 by Lazio

Conte's tactical revolution

Under the dilemma of Osmen and Kvaratsheria's two core cores leaving the team one after another and the total lineup is only fifth in Serie A (356 million euros), Conte showed the tactical wisdom of a top coach. The "concrete defense line" it created (concealed 27 goals in the season) and efficient counterattack system perfectly make up for the lack of offensive firepower. In particular, activating Manchester United abandoned player McTominay is a masterpiece - this Scottish midfielder who introduced 30.5 million euros contributed 12 goals and 4 assists, and broke the deadlock 8 times, and won the Serie A midfielder, and finally won the Serie A MVP.

The Red Devils' heart-wrenching pain

McTominay's outbreak has made Manchester United management the focus of public opinion. This 27-year-old strongman from Carrington's youth training was once defined as a defensive engineer under Tenhager. After turning to Serie A, he turned into an all-round midfielder in the Conte system. His efficiency of participating in 18 goals (12 goals + 6 assists) in the season, even surpassing Kaka's performance in AC Milan. Manchester United, who spent 60 million euros to introduce a replacement, Ugat, only contributed 1 goal and 2 assists. This comparison made Red Devils fans heartbroken? The strategic game behind the championship is full of smart choices: he decisively gave up the Italian Cup at the beginning of the season and focused on the league. He sold the highest-value Kvaratsheria in the winter window for fund balance, and used cost-effective signings such as Buongiorno (45 million) and Gilmore (22 million) to build a new system. This pragmatic strategy perfectly fits the club's current financial situation, and finally breaks out in the encirclement and suppression of the three northern top three (Inter Milan 664 million, Juventus 623 million, and Milan 524 million). This victory not only wrote the counterattack myth from the 10th league to the championship, but also marked the shock of the power structure of the Apennines football. When Conte was thrown into the air by the players to celebrate, Maradona's giant tifo floated on the court, proclaiming a strong revival of Southern football. For Manchester United, which is aiming to rebuild, this comparison across the Apennines and Britain may trigger deeper tactical reflection and management changes.