Napoli boss Antonio Conte keeps mystery over future at club | OneFootball

Serie A side Napoli sealed their qualification for the Champions League after a win over Pisa today but manager Antonio Conte appears to be remaining mysterious about his future.

There has been talk that the club could part ways with the Italian, with Maurizio Sarri one of the candidates to replace him.

After the win over Pisa, Conte spoke to DAZN at length about his future. He made it clear that he his decision is well communicated to CEO Aurelio de Laurentiis and key meetings will be held at the end of the campaign.

He said – via TMW, praising his team: “On the day of my first interview in Dimaro, I was clear: I expected a difficult year. This is also why I decided to stay. Many players have arrived, given that the previous season the squad was very limited in terms of numbers. I couldn’t have foreseen all these serious injuries, they’re not just muscle problems, but sidelines lasting four to five months that are completely independent.

Speaking of problems faced during the season, he said: “I had to deal with unexpected obstacles. I have to congratulate the players, especially those who remained unscathed, who were able to give us a huge hand. We remained high up in the table, we qualified for the Champions League, and that’s far from a foregone conclusion. I want to spare a thought for the fans. They, unlike others, understood the moment and were exceptional. Sometimes those who pay for tickets to watch matches can grasp the nuances better than many others, but no one emphasized enough that we won a Super Cup, competing against Bologna, Inter, and Milan.”

When asked about his future at Napoli, Conte said: “The two-year journey is important, despite the disappointment of that game in Copenhagen. A comeback also caused by the many injuries. Some have painted us as a disaster, but there’s always room for improvement. We’re alive, we’ve achieved the objective that allows Napoli to remain competitive for the future. We compete with many top clubs and we know that the difficulties of winning in Naples are not comparable to what happens elsewhere.

He revealed that conversations with the club will be held in detail once the campaign ends next week.

“My future? The president knows my thoughts, but not just today. They’re already working on the future; we’re waiting for the last game and then we’ll discuss with the owners what’s been achieved. I’ve been making my wishes known for a month now, but now we need to focus on the game against Udinese. I’d be disrespectful to the president and our friendship if I were to reveal anything today.”

It has been speculated that Conte is keen on staying. He attempts to point at that too, with the final decision set to come down to the club, who could be keeping their options open, knowing that Conte is a rather demanding manager and De Laurentiis won’t always meet those demands.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN