Napoli made contact with De Zerbi before Spurs switch & shortlist Italiano as Conte eyes Italy job | OneFootball

Antonio Conte’s candid declaration of interest in the Italy job following Sunday’s Napoli-Milan match has set in motion a fascinating chain of events that could reshape the managerial landscape across Serie A this summer.

Conte was clear on Sunday evening that he would need to speak with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis before any decision could be made, given that he still has a year remaining on his contract at the club.

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 14: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Lecce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

The acknowledgement that he has put himself forward for the national team role makes it difficult to envision him continuing at Napoli beyond this season, though in football, stranger things have happened.

What has emerged in the wake of Conte’s comments is that Napoli had already been quietly exploring their options.

CREMONA, ITALY – APRIL 05: Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Giovanni Zini on April 05, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)

De Zerbi & Italiano among Napoli targets as Conte open to Italy

According to Alfredo Pedulla, the club held conversations with Roberto De Zerbi about a potential move to the Maradona, only for Tottenham to move faster and secure the Brighton manager for themselves.

It is a significant revelation that suggests De Laurentiis had already begun contingency planning well before Conte made his position public.

Vincenzo Italiano remains a name high on Napoli’s list, a long-standing target of De Laurentiis, while Gian Piero Gasperini, despite recent signs of tension at Roma, is tied to the capital club for another two years, making any move complicated.

At Roma, the suggestion that Gasperini could be vulnerable raises wider questions about the club’s direction.

As Pedulla’s report pointedly notes, Roma cannot continue to treat the manager as the primary problem when the issues clearly run deeper, particularly around transfer market strategy and internal alignment, concerns that have been present since at least December.

Massimiliano Allegri, meanwhile, continues to be mentioned as a potential Italy candidate despite recent denials, a situation that could become clearer once Milan’s season reaches its conclusion.