Conte reassured by De Laurentiis but Napoli tension remains | OneFootball

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has reiterated that he has faith in ‘real man’ Antonio Conte, but tension between the coach and the team remains, according to reports in Italy.

Napoli are just two points behind Serie A leaders Roma and Inter, but the Partenopei have lost two of the last five league matches and have not scored in the last three outings across all competitions.

De Laurentiis reassures Conte

NAPLES, ITALY – MAY 26: Aurelio De Laurentiis, President of SSC Napoli, celebrates the victory of Serie A TIM during the SSC Napoli Trophy Parade on May 26, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Conte had blamed himself and the team after Sunday’s 2-0 loss against Bologna, using harsh words, but was reassured by club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis on Monday.

ADL denied that Conte had handed in his resignation and confirmed his faith in the Italian tactician.

NAPLES, ITALY – NOVEMBER 04: SSC Napoli players show their disappointment after the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SSC Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 04, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

According to Gazzetta, De Laurentiis and Napoli director Giovanni Manna had a long phone call with Conte on Monday. The Italian tactician returned to Turin on Sunday to celebrate his daughter’s birthday and is due to return to Napoli today.

A confrontation needed between Conte and Napoli players

BOLOGNA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 09: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of Napoli, reacts during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and SSC Napoli at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Italian sports papers claim that, despite De Laurentiis’ kind words towards Conte, there’s still tension between the coach and the team, so a confrontation between the two parties will be needed when the Partenopei resume training later this week.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Conte already had a meeting with the dressing room leaders in the aftermath of a 6-2 Champions League loss against PSV two weeks ago, but the players and the coach will have to sit down again in the coming days to clear the air and get on the same page.