Why Antonio Conte Is Leaving Napoli at the End of the Season

Antonio Conte is reportedly set to depart from Napoli at the conclusion of the current season. According to reports from La Repubblica, the club is expected to announce his exit following their final Serie A match of the 2025/2026 campaign.

The highly anticipated announcement will likely follow the match against Udinese, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. While Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has reportedly offered Conte time to reconsider his position until that final whistle, sources indicate that the manager has already made a firm decision to move on.

The rift appears to stem from a perceived lack of support. Conte is reportedly frustrated by persistent criticism regarding his training methods, which have been unfairly blamed for the team’s injury struggles this season. Furthermore, the Italian tactician was reportedly disheartened by the intense backlash surrounding Napoli’s tactical approach following their elimination from the Champions League. Disappointingly for Conte, President De Laurentiis reportedly remained silent throughout the public scrutiny rather than defending his manager.

By choosing to leave before his contract expires, Conte is set to forfeit the 7 million EUR salary he was slated to earn through 2027. His departure marks the end of a highly successful tenure; despite the current tension, Conte led the squad—including Scott McTominay and his teammates—to a prestigious Scudetto title in the 2024/2025 season and successfully secured Champions League qualification for the following year.

As speculation grows regarding his future, Napoli has already begun identifying potential successors. Maurizio Sarri, who previously managed I Partenopei between 2015 and 2018, is currently being linked to a return to the dugout.

Meanwhile, Conte has emerged as a top candidate to lead the Italian national team. Should he take the helm for Gli Azzurri to replace Gennaro Gattuso, it would mark his second stint as national manager, following his initial tenure from 2014 to 2016.