Naples, Italy — Antonio Conte said Sunday he will leave Napoli after two years as head coach, a stint that concluded with the club regaining the Serie A crown.
He publicly called out his own failure to unite the environment – an odd confession for a man who just delivered a championship.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
Press conference and a quiet exit
Speaking beside club president Aurelio De Laurentiis after the season‑ending 1‑0 win over Udinese, Conte said he called the president a month ago to tell him the project felt finished. “I didn’t bring unity to the environment and it became difficult to compete with the others,” he acknowledged, thanking the fans who had supported him.
Title season with obstacles
Napoli finished second in Serie A this term, hampered by injuries throughout the campaign. In his first season the club reclaimed the championship, building on Conte’s earlier Serie A successes with Juventus and Inter, and his Premier League experience at Chelsea and Tottenham.
He signed a three‑year contract when he arrived in 2024.
Even a championship did not seem to erase the fatigue hinted at when he said he might need to rest.
The Italy possibility
When asked about the Italy national team post, Conte replied simply that it was all talk and that he had no firm plans. Italy are looking for a new coach after missing World Cup qualification for a third consecutive time, a crisis that triggered the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and former national‑team coach Gennaro Gattuso last month.
He said he might need to rest, indicating no immediate plans to take another bench role.