Conte rules out a Napoli return after turning down

Conte rules out a Napoli return after turning down a €15m-plus Saudi offer

The coach who won the 2024-25 title is out of work, while Allegri's Napoli sit tenth on 15 points after 11 games.

by Rosaria CimminoThursday 12 November, 15:14 CET· 2 days ago

Conte, l'ex dello scudetto 2024-25 che oggi esclude un ritorno a Napoli — Grafica Arena Napoli

Conte has ruled out a return to Napoli. He has been out of work since leaving the club at the end of last season, and he turned down an offer of more than €15m from Saudi Arabia. Massimiliano Allegri has been in charge since 3 July, on a contract that runs until 30 June 2029.

Conte's name comes up in the city after every bad result. Right now there are plenty of bad results.

Two seasons, one title

Conte spent two seasons with Napoli. In the first, 2024-25, he won the Scudetto (the Serie A title), the fourth in the club's history and the first since Spalletti's two years earlier.

In the second, Napoli finished second with 76 points. On 22 December they won the Supercoppa italiana (Italy's Super Cup), beating Bologna 2-0 in the final. In the Champions League, though, they went out in the league phase in 30th place, with one win, two draws and five defeats. One of those defeats was the 6-2 against PSV, the worst European loss in the club's history. In the Coppa Italia (Italy's cup competition) they went out in the quarter-finals to Como on penalties.

Second place has never been enough here, and supporters remember that season as a missed opportunity.

A painful comparison

Set against the present, it hurts. After 11 rounds Napoli are tenth with 15 points, matching the lowest tally of the De Laurentiis era, set in 2007-08. They are 9 points off fourth place, the target Allegri has set, and 14 behind leaders Lazio. They have gone three games without a win and have lost 7 of their 15 matches this season.

The board must answer too

With Conte saying no, the board is left with its own choices, and those choices deserve scrutiny. After the 1-1 draw with Lazio, the club stood by Allegri and called the league position unacceptable. On 6 November, at Castel Volturno (the training ground), Aurelio De Laurentiis promised reinforcements in January.

In the summer, however, only Badiashile and Favasuli arrived, and the striker Allegri had asked for never came. A slump like this is not only down to the coach. The people who built the squad are as accountable as the man who coaches it.

Next up is Napoli v Torino at the Maradona on Saturday 21 November, kick-off 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET). It is the first home game since the supporters' protest on 8 November.