Conte Heavily Hints at the Conclusion of His Napoli Era

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The Cult of Calcio

·18 May 2026

Conte Heavily Hints at the Conclusion of His Napoli Era

Antonio Conte stopped short of announcing his departure from Napoli but openly alluded to it in his press conference after the Azzurri clinched a UCL berth (via Radio Kiss Kiss).

“I’m bound by my friendship with president Aurelio De Laurentiis. I’ve come here in a dark time for the team and promised to leave a lasting foundation to compete without me. He has known my intentions for a month. I’ll always be grateful to him, because he allowed me to coach in a city you can understand only if you work, live, and rejoice here. They told me that winning in Naples is worth ten times more than in any other side.”

According to Corriere dello Sport, it’d take a coup de theatre for Conte to stay at Napoli. However, he did a late 180 last season already, when he seemed headed to Juventus.

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The Partenopei have been inquiring about other bosses. Maurizio Sarri is top of the list and is highly likely to leave Lazio. De Laurentiis could go for Massimiliano Allegri again, should he walk away from Milan. Vincenzo Italiano and Fabio Grosso are the younger alternatives.

Our Take on Napoli and Conte

The signals are clear, although there’s still a sliver of hope after what occurred last year. He’s not one for long spells. After spending lavishly during his reign, they seem headed in a direction that doesn’t suit his style and supreme ambition. They wouldn’t be wrong in going with an up-and-comer, but their patron has mostly leaned on veterans. It’ll be interesting to see whether Enzo Maresca will be an option after Pep Guardiola stated he’d stay at Manchester City, or if he’ll take a gap year to get ready.