Antonio Conte has confirmed his departure from Napoli following Sunday’s final game of the season, bringing his tenure to an end after delivering a Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana.
Speaking alongside Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis after Napoli’s 1-0 win over Udinese, Conte revealed he had informed the club weeks earlier of his decision to leave. The separation, he said, was agreed mutually, with one year still remaining on his contract.
Conte also stated he would forgo the remainder of his salary and any severance package in order to leave on clear terms, with no official confirmation yet on his next role. However, reports in Italy have linked him with a possible return to the Italy national team setup.
Conte said: “A month ago, I called the president. I told him that I felt our project was coming to an end. I made this decision because there was one thing I failed to achieve at Napoli: I wasn’t able to bring unity to the environment, and that makes it difficult to compete at the highest level.
“It was an honor. I thank the president and the fans, who understood me.”
Napoli finished second in Serie A in what proved to be Conte’s final season at the club.
Conte joined Napoli in June 2024 and made an immediate impact. In his first season, he oversaw 41 matches, recording 25 wins, 11 draws and five defeats, guiding the club to the 2024-25 Serie A title with a 61 percent win rate. In doing so, he became the first manager to win the Scudetto with three different clubs, having previously lifted the title with Juventus and Inter Milan.
His spell also marked a dramatic turnaround for Napoli domestically, taking the club from a 10th-place finish before his arrival to league champions in his debut campaign, before securing a second-place finish in the 2025-26 season.
Reports in recent months suggested Conte believed his cycle at the club had run its course after restoring Napoli to the top of Italian football, while there were also claims of disagreements regarding transfer plans and investment.
Conte previously managed the Italy national team between 2014 and 2016, guiding the Azzurri through an unbeaten UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign before leading them to the quarter-finals of the tournament. He left the role after Euro 2016 to take charge at Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri has reportedly emerged as one of the candidates to replace Conte at Napoli this summer, although he has also been linked with Atalanta.
Speaking after Lazio’s 2-0 defeat to Roma on May 17, Sarri hinted at uncertainty over his future at the club.
“I wasn’t listened to at all,” Sarri said. “I’m far from happy. If our plans don’t align, there’s no point in moving forward.
“Perhaps the club isn’t happy either. Let’s finish the season and see if they have anything to say to me.”
