Napoli President Signals Support for Conte's Potential Italy Return
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has declared he would not obstruct Antonio Conte if the coach requests to take over the vacant Italy national team position. This statement follows Conte's own remarks that he should be considered as a candidate to succeed Gennaro Gattuso, who resigned as Italy's coach last Friday after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
Conte's Candidacy and Contractual Situation
After Napoli's 1-0 league victory over Milan on Monday, Conte addressed the speculation surrounding the Italy job. He stated, "It's expected that my name appears on the list of candidates for the national team. 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." Conte's current contract with Napoli runs until 2027, and the Italian champions are currently seven points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan with seven matches remaining in the season.
De Laurentiis's Conditional Approval
In an interview with the website Calcionapoli24, De Laurentiis expressed his willingness to allow Conte to depart for the national team role, but with a caveat. He said, "If Conte asked me to allow him to become the national team coach again, I would say yes. 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." This comment references the recent resignation of Gabriele Gravina as head of the Italian football federation, which occurred just 24 hours before Gattuso's departure.
Conte's Previous Tenure and Napoli Success
Antonio Conte previously managed the Italy national team from 2014 to 2016, leading the four-time World Cup winners to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, where they were eliminated on penalties by Germany. More recently, he coached Napoli to the Scudetto last season, although he was close to leaving the club last summer following a fallout with De Laurentiis.
Other Candidates and Timing of Appointment
Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has also been linked with the Italy position, adding to the speculation. However, a replacement for Gattuso will not be officially named until after the Italian football federation's extraordinary meeting on 22 June, which is scheduled to elect a new president. This delay underscores the current organisational challenges within the federation, as highlighted by De Laurentiis.
The situation remains fluid as Napoli concludes its Serie A campaign and the federation seeks stability. Conte's potential return to the Italy role hinges on both his discussions with De Laurentiis and the resolution of the federation's leadership issues, making this a developing story in Italian football.
