Italian tactician Antonio Conte has officially left Napoli by mutual consent, bringing an abrupt end to his spell at the Serie A side despite still having a contract running until 2027.
The club confirmed the decision earlier today, May 25, in a brief four-word statement, less than 24 hours after Conte publicly announced he was stepping down during a tense media conference alongside club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Conte’s departure came at the end of a turbulent campaign that still saw Napoli finish second in Serie A after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Udinese. The result sealed a runners-up spot behind champions Inter Milan.
“Without the injuries, we would have been the champions,” De Laurentiis said.
The comment immediately drew a response from Conte, who refused to downplay Inter’s title-winning campaign.
“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.”
The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss also spoke candidly about what he described as a toxic atmosphere surrounding the club and the city.
“In Naples, I failed in one thing, I was unable to unite you,” Conte said. “I have seen so much poison, so many weeds: those who spread poison are failures.
“Napoli do not need this, these people should move away from Naples, which needs serious people.
“I failed from this point of view, and I realised that I would never be able to control the environment.
“The moment you can’t do that, which for me is a fundamental thing to fight against the superpowers like Milan or Inter, I realised that I couldn’t change things, and I said that I was taking a step back.
“I thank De Laurentiis because he gave me this opportunity. The Neapolitan fans understood me, this is the most important thing.”
