Conte to leave Napoli a year after winning Serie A

Manager Antonio Conte has announced he will leave Napoli this summer, 12 months after guiding the club to the Serie A title.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss took charge of Napoli in 2024 and, in his first season, delivered a fourth top-flight title in their history.

However, this season Napoli finished second, 11 points behind champions Inter Milan.

In the Champions League – a competition Conte has struggled to make progress in – Napoli failed to reach the knockout phase.

After Napoli beat Udinese 1-0 on Sunday in their final match of the season, Conte announced his departure during a joint media conference with club president Aurelio de Laurentiis.

“It’s been an honour, really special to coach Napoli. It’s been two great seasons, an exceptional experience,” Conte told Italian media.

“It was my decision, I told the chairman a few weeks ago. Napoli will always be home.”

When asked if he could become the new manager of the Italian national team, Conte said: “My advice would be to hire Pep Guardiola.”

Conte looked set to leave the club last summer but was convinced to stay after holding talks with De Laurentiis.

Napoli brought in new signings, including Kevin de Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund, but injuries and inconsistency hampered their title defence.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)