Liam Rosenior may have sought to play down the significance of Chelsea’s Champions League victory over Antonio Conte’s Napoli, but few results will resonate more strongly in the early stages of his Stamford Bridge tenure.
Guiding Chelsea to a comeback win in Naples to secure a place in the last 16, Rosenior outmanoeuvred a manager who once occupied his office and led the club to a Premier League title. For a head coach managing in the Champions League for only the second time, it was a moment of clear authority.
Appointed earlier this month, Rosenior entered the contest as the relative novice against Conte, a seasoned tactician whose legacy still looms large at Chelsea. With the Blues trailing 2-1 in an intimidating atmosphere at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the prospect of a two-legged play-off appeared increasingly likely.
Instead, Rosenior’s bold second-half adjustments transformed the contest. Joao Pedro struck twice to complete a dramatic turnaround and secure a top-eight finish, ensuring Chelsea’s direct passage to the knockout phase.
“It’s not about me,” Rosenior insisted after the match, as Chelsea became only the second side to beat Napoli at home in 21 games. “My job is to win games as Chelsea manager. Where this ranks in my career doesn’t really concern me.”
While Chelsea celebrated, Conte was left confronting another disappointing European campaign. Napoli finished 30th in the 36-team league phase, marking the fourth time a team managed by Conte has failed to progress beyond the Champions League’s opening stage.
The victory could prove pivotal for Rosenior, whose appointment following Enzo Maresca’s departure was met with scepticism in some quarters.
His limited experience at elite level — having arrived from sister club Strasbourg after spells with Derby County and Hull City — led to criticism, with some branding him a safe appointment amid fan unrest directed at ownership group BlueCo.
From the outset, Rosenior maintained that results would provide the only meaningful response. Five wins in six matches have followed, and victory over a former Chelsea favourite is likely to strengthen his standing among supporters.
“These players lost a manager they respected for reasons beyond my control,” Rosenior told TNT Sports. “To accept a new manager the way they have, and to work as hard as they have, is a credit to them. It’s not about ego — it’s about doing the best we can together.”
His half-time introduction of Cole Palmer proved decisive, with the midfielder assisting both of Joao Pedro’s goals. Later, Trevoh Chalobah added defensive stability as Chelsea restricted Napoli to a single shot on target after the interval.
“I’m learning constantly about this team and what we’re capable of,” Rosenior said. “I wanted us to be front-footed and to go and win the game.”
Avoiding a play-off round is a significant boost to Chelsea’s demanding schedule, allowing Rosenior valuable time on the training ground as the competition intensifies.
“You have to enjoy these moments,” he added. “We’re in the Champions League to play the best — and to beat the best.”
Conte lifted the Champions League as a player with Juventus in 1996, but his record as a manager in Europe’s premier competition remains a source of frustration.
The defeat marked his 50th Champions League match as a head coach across spells with Juventus, Chelsea, Inter, Tottenham and Napoli. His record stands at 17 wins, 16 draws and 17 defeats.
Across 44 group-stage or league-phase matches, Conte has averaged 1.39 points per game — a return lower than contemporaries such as Carlo Ancelotti, Massimiliano Allegri, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
By contrast, his overall managerial record is formidable. From 618 matches in all other competitions, Conte has won 374 and lost just 110, averaging 2.03 points per game with a win rate of 60.5%. In the Champions League, that figure drops sharply to 34%.
His teams have exited at the group stage on four occasions — second only to Jorge Jesus since 2012-13 — and have been eliminated twice in the round of 16. A quarter-final run with Juventus remains his best Champions League finish, although he did guide Inter Milan to the Europa League final in 2020.
Adding to the narrative, both Juventus and Inter reached Champions League finals within two seasons of Conte’s departure. Despite domestic dominance in Serie A, he has also failed to lift the Coppa Italia, with his 2018 FA Cup win at Chelsea standing as his only major cup triumph.
“It’s disappointing,” Conte said. “Chelsea were better in the final third. I wanted to stay in this competition, but we’re proud of our performance.”
Yet as another European campaign ends early, the pattern is increasingly clear: while Conte remains a master of league football, success in Champions League knockout competition continues to elude him.
