💣 'Too much poison': Conte announces Napoli exit in wild interview | OneFootball

Napoli will be looking for a new manager this summer as headmaster Antonio Conte confirmed he will be walking away late on Sunday evening.

The 56-year-old spoke alongside club owner Aurelio De Laurentis during the club's post-match press conference after a 1-0 victory over Udinese. And he didn't hold back. 

"A month ago I called the president. I didn’t ask for anything and I didn’t want to know anything about the project. A month ago I said: ‘I feel that my journey here is coming to an end.’ It wasn’t about downsizing or changes in plans, I didn’t care to know about any of that. The decision had already been made by me," said Conte.

"Why did I make it? Because at Napoli I failed in one thing: I wasn’t able to unite you all. If you can’t create unity, it becomes difficult to fight against the others. I saw too much poison, too much negativity aimed at me and the players."

"For my part, I feel satisfaction, honour, and pride for having coached Napoli. I thank the president. I experienced Naples in an intense and passionate way. The Napoli fans understood me, and that’s what matters to me."

Conte was then asked his thoughts and feelings about Inter winning the Scudetto.

"[They] deserved the Scudetto. We need to acknowledge the others' victories; if we want respect, we have to give it. Injuries have brought us closer together, and we've discovered new players. They've been two fantastic years.

"I hope that in the future, this will give the failures the push to try not to always go and slaughter Napoli, just to get a like or be on TV. Napoli doesn't need failures; they can compete at great levels if they're united. I found a traumatized group after finishing 10th, and I know what I had to do to get them back on track psychologically. I hope Napoli continues to have that ambition next year. I thank the president because it was a wonderful experience."

Napoli ultimately finished the 2025-26 season 11 points off reclaiming the Italian title.

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