Where The Story Turns
NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Antonio Conte said Sunday he is leaving Napoli after two years as manager, a tenure that returned the southern club to the Serie A championship and sparked fresh belief among its supporters.
The 56-year-old Conte met with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis following Napoli's final match of the season, a 1-0 win over Udinese. He said he telephoned the president a month ago to inform him the project had run its course.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
"I didn't bring unity to the environment and so it's difficult to compete with others," Conte said. "I put my hands up. I realize that things cannot be changed."
The Stakes In Plain Sight
Napoli finished second in Serie A despite an injury-plagued campaign. When Conte arrived in 2024, the club was coming off a disastrous season — one of the worst title defenses in league history, finishing 10th. Within a year, he had reclaimed the championship.
Conte previously won Serie A titles with Juventus and Inter Milan, and managed Chelsea and Tottenham in England's Premier League. He guided Italy to the quarterfinals of the 2016 European Championship, where the Azzurri lost to Germany on penalties.
The Italy national job has been vacant since FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso resigned last month, both unable to guide the team to qualification for a third consecutive World Cup. Conte dismissed speculation about taking the role.
The Question Left Open
"It's all just talk," he said. "I don't know anything about my future. I might well take time out and rest."