The Result Under The Result
NAPLES, Italy — Antonio Conte confirmed Sunday that he is leaving Napoli after two years in charge, having delivered the club's first Serie A title in decades. The 56-year-old coach held a press conference alongside club president Aurelio De Laurentiis following Napoli's 1-0 win over Udinese in the season finale.
"A month ago I called the president and told him I sensed our project was coming to an end," Conte said. "I failed in one thing: I didn't bring unity to the environment, and so it's difficult to compete with others."
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Useful Context
Conte arrived at Napoli in 2024 on a three-year contract, taking over a team that had finished 10th in the previous campaign — one of the worst defending champions in the league's history. In his first season, he reclaimed the Serie A title for the southern club. This year, injury problems plagued Napoli throughout, and the team finished second in the standings.
The Italian national team job now looms as a possibility. Conte previously steered Italy to the quarterfinals of the 2016 European Championship, where the Azzurri lost to Germany in a penalty shootout. He also coached Juventus and Inter Milan to Serie A titles, and had Premier League stints at Chelsea and Tottenham.
The Part Still Unclear
Italy is currently without a coach after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third straight time, prompting the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso last month.
"I don't know anything about my future," Conte said when asked about the Italy job. "I might well take time out and rest."