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Antonio Conte announced his departure as Napoli head coach on Sunday after guiding the team to a 1-0 home victory over Udinese in their final match of the Serie A season.
The 56-year-old confirmed the decision at a press conference alongside the Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis after the match. Having joined the club in July 2024, he won the league title in his debut campaign as well as this season’s. Conte’s final match was settled by a 23rd-minute goal from striker Rasmus Højlund, securing a second-place finish in the league table for the hosts behind Inter.
The former Italy and Chelsea manager revealed he had initiated the exit talks based on his relationship with the club’s owner. “I rang the chairman a month ago … and told him: ‘Given the friendship we share, I feel that my time here is coming to an end.’ The decision was mine,” Conte told reporters. “I’ve never been one for mediocre seasons, and I never will be.”
Reflecting on the turning point of his decision following a loss to Bologna this month, Conte cited friction over January signings and internal squad dynamics. “I saw situations there that I did not like,” Conte said. “Certainly some new signings arrived in January while the old group and I were in very difficult dynamics. There came a moment when it was right to speak out and take responsibility.
“I failed at one thing in Naples: I was unable to bring everyone together,” he added. “I saw too much poison, too much malice. The moment you can no longer do things with ease is a step backwards for me.”
Conte is a frontrunner to take over as Italy manager, local media reported. “There is satisfaction, honour and prestige in what I achieved coaching Naples. I thank De Laurentiis for giving me this opportunity.”
Como qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, the lakeside club being joined by Roma in the top four as giants Milan and Juventus missed out on an eventful final day marred by fan violence.
Como’s 4-1 win at Cremonese, who drop down to Serie B, and Milan falling to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Cagliari was enough for Cesc Fàbregas’s side to cap their incredible rise from lower leagues to Europe’s top table. Como will finish the season fourth, two points behind Roma, whose 2-0 win at already-relegated Verona ensured third place and an end to their long absence from the Champions League.
Juve’s match at Torino kicked off over an hour late for “public safety” after one of the Turin giants’ fans was admitted to hospital following pre-match clashes with rival supporters.
In La Liga, Villarreal claimed third place with an emphatic 5-1 win over Atlético Madrid, who finished fourth, in the final match of the Spanish season. It was Marcelino García Toral’s last in charge of the Yellow Submarine, and he guided them to a comfortable victory against an uninterested Atlético side. Finishing third is Villarreal’s highest placement in La Liga for 13 years.
