Napoli officially confirmed manager Antonio Conte’s departure on Monday with a short four-word message, coming less than 24 hours after he publicly announced his exit during a tense press conference where he exchanged words with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
“Thanks for everything, coach,” the club posted on its social media page.
The Italian side ended their season with a 1-0 home win over Udinese on Sunday, securing second place behind Serie A champions Inter Milan. Conte revealed his decision to step down during the post-match press conference, which was followed by a public disagreement with the club president.
De Laurentiis argued that Napoli would have successfully defended their league title if injuries had not disrupted the squad throughout the season.
The team suffered a difficult second half of the campaign, with key players including Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo spending extended periods on the sidelines.
“Without the injuries, we would have been the champions,” De Laurentiis said.
Conte responded immediately while seated beside the president, calling for greater recognition of Inter Milan’s achievement.
“That probably would not have happened,” Conte said. “Inter’s merits need to be recognised.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t like clinging to these things. We have to acknowledge others’ victories and show respect. If we want respect, we have to give it. Inter deserved to win the league, with injuries or not.”
Both parties later indicated that the decision to end their working relationship had actually been made earlier in the season.
De Laurentiis declined to reveal potential replacements for Conte but hinted that the returning injured players could perform better under new tactical leadership.
