LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 17: Gianfranco Zola reacts prior to the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium on October 17, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Gianfranco Zola has given his pre-match assessment ahead of Napoli’s Champions League clash with Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on Wednesday evening, and has explained where the differences lie between Antonio Conte and The Special One.
Napoli will take on Benfica at the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday evening, coming in off the back of an impressive 2-1 victory over Juventus in the Serie A on Sunday night.
In Europe, the Partenopei sit in 22nd place on seven points after five matches, but could potentially secure a play-off spot with a victory in Lisbon on Wednesday night.
NAPLES, ITALY – OCTOBER 01: Rasmus Hojlund of SSC Napoli celebrates with Frank Anguissa after scoring his side first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between SSC Napoli and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 01, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Zola on Benfica vs. Napoli, Mourinho and Conte
Given that Napoli look set to compete for a potential third Scudetto in four years this term, Zola was asked why Conte’s side have found it quite so difficult in the Champions League this campaign.
“Being a good team in Italy doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to be a top team in the Champions League, it’s an extremely difficult competition and is definitely tougher than Serie A. In short, there are some difficulties, but Napoli has all the credentials to recover well,” Zola explained in an interview with Il Mattino.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 17: Gianfranco Zola is seen prior to the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium on October 17, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Given that they are reigning Serie A champions, and invested heavily over the summer, it is somewhat of a surprise to see Napoli as low as 22nd place in the Champions League table before kick-off against Benfica.
“They’re paying for their poor results at the start of the season,” Zola noted. “You can’t afford too many slip-ups in this new formula because the tough games will always come. Some
“Champions League matches came at the worst time for the Azzurri. But they still have nine points and everything is still open. They still have winnable matches. It’s up to them to try until the end.”
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s game away against Benfica, Zola said: “It’s not an easy game, but it’s definitely one that’s within Napoli’s reach. It’s not a bad team, but not a battleship either. They’ve had their fair share of troubles in the Champions League, but they’re not exactly shining in the league either.”
It would be foolish to underestimate the role that Mourinho has to play this evening.
“He’s a coach of great calibre, with a lot of experience and knows all the tricks of the trade,” Zola said. “But, his team isn’t at the highest level. Playing at their home is never easy, it will take a big Napoli performance.”
LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 05: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Benfica, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SL Benfica and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at on November 05, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
“So much is said about (Mourinho), but he knows how to do his job well. His greatest ability is knowing how to motivate the group. He always gets the most out of his players. He does a great job psychologically. He’s a very good man-manager and is good at deflecting attention and pressure away from the team in moments of difficulty. He’s the number one in terms of communication.”
And on the differences between Mourinho and Conte, Zola said: “They are two great coaches. They’ve marked an era and continue to do so. They know what their job is, albeit in a different way, and they both do it very well.”
NAPLES, ITALY – NOVEMBER 25: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between SSC Napoli and Qarabag FK at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 25, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
And what makes Conte such an effective coach?
“He’s someone who brings a lot of added value on the pitch given how he works with the team and how he manages to bring out the best when the team is suffering.”
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