Antonio Conte is believed to be on the verge of leaving Napoli, with one eye on taking up the vacant role with the Italian national team, according to reports in his home country. The combustible former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager took over in Naples in 2024 and immediately won the side their fourth Serie A title in his debut season.
Conte's potential departure
But a tumultuous 2025-26 campaign has given rise to speculation that the 56-year-old will move on, with Napoli coming a distant second to title-winning Inter in the league. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Conte and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis have been in discussion about his possible exit since mid-April, with the head coach in recent weeks openly flirting with the idea of returning to international management.
When asked about the role vacated by Gennaro Gattuso as Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup at the final hurdle earlier this spring, Conte suggested: 'If I were the president of the Italian Football Federation, I would consider myself.' The admission is said to have prompted a showdown with De Laurentiis, with the pair thought to have come to a respectful agreement about his future at the club.
Tension with Lukaku
Tension has also been roiling between Conte and one of his star players, Romelu Lukaku, amid a frustrating and injury-strewn campaign for the Belgian. With Conte nearing departure, Napoli consider one of their former coaches, Maurizio Sarri, as the front-runner for the position.
Sarri's potential return
Like Conte, Sarri endured a spell at Chelsea for the duration of the 2018-19 season, winning the Europa League but failing to endear himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful. Currently in situ at Serie A rivals Lazio, Sarri, who previously managed at Napoli between 2015 and 2018, admitted that he was far from pleased about how his season in Rome had played out.
'This season's situation hasn't pleased me,' he told DAZN after defeat in the Rome derby on Sunday. 'I wasn't listened to at all, and I'm far from happy. Perhaps the club isn't happy either. Let's finish the season and see if they have anything to say to me.'
Should Sarri take the decision to return to the Amalfi coast, he would inherit a squad replete with Premier League outcasts who have flourished on Italian soil, including former Manchester United stars Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay, and ex-Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour.
Other candidates
AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri is another candidate under consideration at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
