Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has indicated he would not block Antonio Conte from leaving to become Italy's next head coach, following Gennaro Gattuso's resignation. Conte, whose contract with Napoli runs until 2027, said he expects to be considered for the role after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
Speaking after Napoli's 1-0 win over Milan on Monday, Conte acknowledged his contractual situation but left the door open for a move. 'It's expected that my name appears on the list of candidates for the national team,' he said. 'If I was the federation's president, I would consider my name. But, you know my contractual situation, I'll meet with my president at the end of the season and we will see.'
De Laurentiis told Calcionapoli24 that he would grant Conte's request if asked, but noted the current disorganisation in Italian football. 'If Conte asked me to allow him to become the national team coach again, I would say yes,' he said. 'But as he's very intelligent, as long as there's no [federation] president, and up to now there hasn't been, I don't think he sees himself in charge of something so disorganised.'
Conte previously managed Italy from 2014 to 2016, leading them to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, where they lost on penalties to Germany. He guided Napoli to the Serie A title last season but was close to leaving last summer after a fallout with De Laurentiis.
Gattuso resigned on Friday, a day after Gabriele Gravina stepped down as head of the Italian football federation. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has also been linked with the role, but no appointment will be made until after the federation's extraordinary meeting on 22 June to elect a new president.
