Antonio Conte leaves Napoli one year after securing Serie A title
Manager Antonio Conte has confirmed his departure from Napoli this summer, stepping down just 12 months after guiding the club to the Serie A title.
The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss delivered a historic fourth top-flight championship during his debut campaign in 2024.
However, the Italian tactician could only manage a second-place finish this season, ending up 11 points behind champions Inter Milan.
The Campania-based outfit also suffered early disappointment in Europe, failing to progress past the Champions League group stages.
A mutual farewell following domestic struggles
The decorated coach announced his exit during a joint press conference alongside club president Aurelio de Laurentiis following Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Udinese.
It’s been an honour, really special to coach Napoli. It’s been two great seasons, an exceptional experience.
It was my decision, I told the chairman a few weeks ago. Napoli will always be home.
He had appeared close to walking away last summer before De Laurentiis convinced him to remain for another demanding season.
Title defence derailed by injuries
Despite bolstering their squad with high-profile signings like Kevin de Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund, the team’s domestic campaign was severely hampered by persistent fitness problems.
Inconsistent league form ultimately proved fatal to their hopes of retaining the scudetto against a dominant Inter side.
When questioned about potentially taking over the Italian national team, the departing manager offered a rather surprising suggestion.
My advice would be to hire Pep Guardiola.