eindhoven – Antonio Conte suffered the most significant defeat of his managerial career as Napoli were soundly beaten 6-2 by PSV Eindhoven in a Champions League group stage match on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. The loss marks Napoli’s second defeat in this season’s competition and represents the club’s largest margin of defeat in European play.
Napoli conceded six goals at Philips Stadium despite two strikes from Scott McTominay. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s goal was breached six times by the hosts, leaving Napoli with three points and in 22nd place in the group phase standings after also falling 2-0 to Manchester City on matchday one.
Opta data confirms this defeat as Napoli’s heaviest in European competition, surpassing a 3-6 Serie A loss to Sampdoria in 1997.
“This is the level of the Champions League. We cannot complain. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we certainly know this season will require an uphill battle, so we have to be ready to put in that effort,” Conte stated to Sky Sport Italia following the match. “I look at these players every day, and when I try to calm myself down, I don’t look for excuses. It’s because I can see things that indicate that this season will be elaborate.”
Conte, who guided Napoli to the Serie A title last season, emphasized the need for resilience. “We must not give up,we must all try to recreate the fighting spirit we had last season,even knowing that there are nine new faces in the team. It takes time to create that connection.”
Historically, Conte’s Champions League record has been modest. His best result as a manager was reaching the quarter-finals with Juventus in the 2012-13 season, where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich. He reached the round of 16 with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and was eliminated in the group stage while managing Inter Milan.
Across 45 Champions League matches, Conte has a record of 16 wins, 14 draws, and 15 defeats.
(adp/rin)