Tug of war between Napoli and Atalanta for Lazio head coach Sarri | OneFootball

Reports in Italy claim that both Napoli and Atalanta are hoping to secure the services of Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri for the 2026-27 season as the Serie A managerial merry-go-round gets underway.

Napoli and Atalanta both want Sarri for 2026-27

Various outlets are reporting that Conte has decided to leave Napoli at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, two years after joining and one year after guiding the club to its fourth Scudetto. The former CT reportedly communicated his decision to Partenopei President Aurelio De Laurentiis in mid-April.

Conte is expected to leave Napoli by mutual agreement, which means that he will leave the club without severance pay in what has been described as a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ by leading outlets in Italy.

The initial reports on Thursday indicate that Lazio’s Sarri is among the leading candidates to replace Conte at the Stadio Maradona.

Sarri had a successful spell in charge of Napoli between 2015 and 2018, finishing second behind the dominant Juventus in two out of his three seasons in charge. He is increasingly likely to leave Lazio at the end of the season and could be poised for a second spell in Naples.

ROME, ITALY – MAY 17: SS Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarr during the Serie A match between AS Roma and SS Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on May 17, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

However, the latest updates indicate that Atalanta are also attempting to persuade Sarri to join, and that their offer might be more enticing than Napoli’s.

According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Napoli and Atalanta have both offered Sarri a two-year deal, although Atalanta could be prepared to lengthen the duration of the proposed contract. Pedullà adds that Atalanta’s offer is ‘higher’ than the €2.7m-per-season plus bonuses that Napoli are willing to pay.