Dailon Livramento gave Verona the lead and fellow Serie A debutant Daniel Mosquera netted twice in a comfortable win.

Napoli won the 2022-23 title but then finished 10th last season with three different managers in charge.

Ex-Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss Conte replaced Francesco Calzona in the summer.

“We melted like snow in the sun,” the Italian told Sky Sports Italia.

“What I feel like saying is that we should apologise to the Neapolitan supporters, who follow us with such passion.

“I am the coach and it is right that I take full responsibility.”

Conte said he hopes to make more signings.

“One, two, three, four could arrive, as many as the club want to sign. The problems must be faced head-on, and they are not necessarily easy issues to fix,” he said.

After winning Serie A for the first time since 1990 when triumphing in the 2022/23 season, Napoli endured a period of flux as Luciano Spalletti departed after inspiring that Scudetto success.

Rudi Garcia lasted six months before departing in November, while Walter Mazzarri’s spell was shorter as he exited a little over three months after taking the reins.

Francesco Calzona steered the ship until the end of the campaign, but he was juggling the role with that of the Slovakia national team.

Calzona allowed Napoli to take their time to make an appointment, and it emerged that Conte had been targeted for the role.

Widespread reports in Italy said Conte had entered into advanced negotiations with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis following the end of the Serie A season, and a deal was confirmed on Wednesday.

Conte has signed a three-year deal until 2027.

“Napoli is a place of global importance,” said Conte.

“I am happy and excited at the idea of ​​sitting on the blue bench. I can certainly promise one thing: I will do my utmost for the growth of the team and the club. My commitment, together with that of my staff, will be total.”

Conte has an established pedigree, having won the Serie A title on four occasions – three times with Juventus and once with Inter Milan.

The Italian also enjoyed success in the Premier League, winning the title with Chelsea in the 2016/17 season.

Conte, who has also managed the Italy national team, had been out of work since leaving Tottenham in March of 2023.

The Spurs boss said his team “don’t want to help each other” after a 3-3 draw at Southampton on Saturday.

“Tottenham’s story is this – 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?” Conte said.

Spurs had led by two goals at St Mary’s but conceded twice in 15 minutes.

“The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here?” said Conte. “I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.

“Until now I try to hide the situation but not now because I repeat, I don’t want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.”

Tottenham have won one trophy since the ownership group, chaired by Daniel Levy, took over the club in 2001 – the League Cup in 2008.

They have had 11 different managers in that time, including three since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, who took them to the Champions League final before being sacked six months later.

Spurs are out of all cup competitions this season with Sheffield United knocking them out of the FA Cup before AC Milan ended their Champions League hopes – and Conte said it is time for the club and players to start taking responsibility.

“Not only the club, the manager and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change,” he said.

“If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.

“Maybe previously in the other games something can change. But here we’re used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?

“In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.”

When asked why this is the case at Tottenham, Conte said: “Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important here. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.”

Spurs remain fourth in the Premier League and had the chance to go above Manchester United into third with victory over Southampton, but during his damning media conference after the match, Conte said if their current form continues they will be lucky to secure a Champions League spot at all.

He said: “There are 10 games to go and some people think we can fight. Fight for what with this spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th place?

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart.

“I am not used to this position. I’m really upset and everyone has to take their responsibility.”

Conte had said on Thursday he does not expect to get sacked by the club, after comments he made following Spurs’ European exit that they may decide to dismiss him before his contract ends in the summer.

He said those comments were “a joke”, but indicated in his criticism that the club are “worse” than last season when they pipped London rivals Arsenal to a top-four spot.

“It’s much better to go into the problem, because the problem is that for another time we showed that we are not a team,” Conte said.

“Before today I prefer to hide this situation and to try to speak, to try to improve the spirit, the situation, with the words, With a lot of situations.

“If I have to compare last season and this season, we have to improve, but now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team, anything can happen, in any moment. Today is the last situation.

“Being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge.”

The Italian was sent off by referee Danny Makkelie following a controversial end to the 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, as Harry Kane’s stoppage-time strike was ruled out by the VAR due to a marginal offside decision.

According to the Guardian, UEFA have since confirmed that it would impose the sanction based on their disciplinary regulations, which state:

“A player or an official sent off from the field of play and/or its immediate surrounds, including the technical area, is automatically suspended for the next match of the competition in which the expulsion occurred.

“A team manager/coach or other team official who is sent off or suspended from carrying out his function may not be in the technical area or communicate directly with the team’s players and/or technical staff during the match.

“In addition, a team manager/coach or any other team official who is suspended from carrying out his function may not enter the dressing room or tunnel before or during the match.””

As a result of the punishment, Conte will not be allowed to contact his players at the stadium before or during the fixture. He will also be forced to sit in the stand.

READ ALSO

• Liverpool secure spot in Champions League last 16 after win at Ajax

• CL: Atletico Madrid out after dramatic draw with Leverkusen

It was an infuriating night for Spurs, who would have secured qualification for the knockout stages with a game to spare had Kane’s strike stood.

The Tottenham boss was seething after the game and claimed “VAR is doing a lot of damage” in his post-match interview with BT Sport.

“I think the ball was in front of Kane and the goal is a goal. Yeah. I don’t understand the line they put. It is very difficult to comment on this decision.

“VAR is doing a lot of damage. I want to see if in another stadium of a big team if they are ready to disallow this type of goal. I’d like to know this.

“A lot of injustice. I don’t like this type of situation. I see not positive things.

“The second half was positive and we played with a great intensity. We deserved to win but we know what happened.

“I don’t understand why we have to get something from the next game when we can finish the qualification in this game. When you invent this type of situation, you create a lot of damage [to] the club.”

Nevertheless, qualification remains in their hands with the north Londoners still occupying top spot in Group D.

They require only a point to guarantee a top-two finish in the group, while a victory will secure first place and a seeded spot in the last-16 draw.

The pair were both sent off after an angry confrontation following the full-time whistle, as Spurs equalised six minutes into stoppage time.

It is alleged that the behaviour of both managers was improper.

They have until Thursday, 18 August to respond to the charge.

It follows an investigation launched by the FA into Tuchel’s post-match comments about referee Anthony Taylor.

The German suggested Taylor should not referee Chelsea matches in future.

The Blues were furious that Taylor failed to penalise Rodrigo Bentancur for a challenge on fellow midfielder Kai Havertz in the build-up to Spurs’ first equaliser.

The resulting melee led to face-to-face fury between the two managers, which ended with Tuchel and Conte receiving yellow cards.

But with tempers still running high, both men got involved in another spat at full-time and were sent off.

However, the red cards do not trigger an automatic suspension, meaning both are almost certain to be in the dug-out for next weekend’s games.

The 25-year-old becomes Spurs boss Antonio Conte’s third summer signing, following deals for goalkeeper Fraser Forster and winger Ivan Perisic.

Bissouma, whose contract with the Seagulls expires in 12 months, has made 124 appearances since joining the club from Lille in July 2018.

The north London club were initially interested in signing him in January.

He underwent a medical at Tottenham earlier this week with the club making his signing official on Friday, June 17.

The coveted central midfielder started 26 Premier League games for the Seagulls last season, scoring once.

He played an influential role in Graham Potter’s side as they secured ninth place in the Premier League – the highest finish in the club’s history.

Bissouma said last September it was not his time to leave Brighton but that he wanted to play in the Champions League, which Spurs have qualified for next season.

The Premier League club sacked Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday after just 17 games, with Spurs eighth in the table.

Tottenham says there is “an option to extend” 52-year-old Conte’s deal with them.

“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again,” said Conte.

The Italian returns to London after winning the Premier League in his first season at Chelsea (2016-17) and the FA Cup in his second before being sacked in 2018.

He then led Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years before leaving the club in May.

Conte had been in charge for two years and Inter said it was a mutual decision to end his contract with one year remaining.

The former Juventus and Italy coach was then in talks with Tottenham in the summer about becoming Jose Mourinho’s successor.

READ ALSO

• Inside story of why Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Spurs

• Ex-Chelsea coach to be named Tottenham manager

But negotiations were halted before Spurs appointed ex-Wolves boss Nuno at the end of June, with the Portuguese boss, 47, lasting just four months.

“I can’t wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach,” said Conte.

“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.

“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of [Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark.

“Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”

Conte’s first game will be at home against Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League on Thursday before Spurs play at Everton in the league on Sunday.

“His track record speaks for itself, with vast experience and trophies in both Italy and England,” said Tottenham managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

“I know first hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players.”

Negotiations between Conte and Tottenham broke down in the summer but he remains out of work and the club’s managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, is confident a deal will be done. Conte and his representatives are in London to continue discussions and on Monday afternoon the paperwork was being prepared by Spurs to confirm the appointment.

Conte is generally averse to taking a job midway through a season but made it known he would make an exception for Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjær were sacked and Spurs believe they have convinced him to take the same view of their offer. Conte has asked for guarantees regarding the next transfer windows.

Talks collapsed with Conte in June after Tottenham thought they were close to a deal. At that point Paratici, who worked with the manager at Juventus, had not been hired. Conte, who has won top-flight league titles with Juve, Chelsea and Internazionale, left Inter in May over their plan to sell players.

Nuno has gone after a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United on Saturday, during and after which he was barracked by supporters. Spurs turned to Nuno having failed to land a number of preferred candidates including Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso. The former Wolves manager began with three straight Premier League wins, the first against Manchester City, and was named August’s manager of the month.

READ ALSO

• Spurs sack coach after defeat to Manchester United

• PL: Man Utd respond to Liverpool thrashing to sink sorry Spurs

But comprehensive defeats by clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal and United, coupled with an uninspiring style of play, have prompted his dismissal. Spurs have gone two hours and 16 minutes without a Premier League shot on target.

The chairman, Daniel Levy, also a target for fans’ anger on Saturday, and Paratici held talks after the United game before concluding a change was imperative. Tottenham are eighth in the Premier League and third in their Europa Conference League group, although they have reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Paratici said: “I know how much Nuno and his coaching staff wanted to succeed and I regret that we have had to take this decision. Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here. We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future.”

The team have scored only nine goals in 10 Premier League games and Harry Kane, who had hoped to leave for City in the summer, has looked well below his best. Nuno succeeded José Mourinho after Ryan Mason had been placed in interim charge.

Spurs confirmed Nuno’s coaches Ian Cathro, Rui Barbosa and Antonio Dias had also departed. Nuno followed Christian Gross in losing five of his first 10 Premier League games in charge of the club.