Napoli president would release his title-winning coach, but Conte won't commit to Italy role until federation resolves leadership vacuum
Antonio Conte has made his position clear: he wants the Italy job but won't touch it until the Italian Football Federation sorts out its leadership crisis. In a remarkable shift, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has offered to release the coach from his contract through 2027, just months after their relationship nearly imploded.
The timing couldn't be more stark. Italy sits without a coach or federation president after Gennaro Gattuso and Gabriele Gravina resigned within 24 hours of each other, following the national team's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
De Laurentiis laid bare the dysfunction at the heart of Italian football when discussing Conte's potential return to the national team.
If Conte asked me to allow him to become the national team coach again, I would say yes. But as he's very intelligent, as long as there's no federation president, and up to now there hasn't been, I don't think he sees himself in charge of something so disorganised.
This assessment from De Laurentiis reveals why even Conte, who previously managed Italy from 2014 to 2016, won't commit to the role despite openly campaigning for it.
The federation's extraordinary meeting to elect a new president isn't scheduled until 22 June, leaving Italian football rudderless for over two months. No replacement for Gattuso will be named before then, creating a paralysis that extends beyond just the coaching position.
Conte made his interest clear after Napoli's 1-0 victory over Milan on Monday:
It's expected that my name appears on the list of candidates for the national team. If I was the federation's president, I would consider my name. But, you know my contractual situation, I'll meet with my president at the end of the season and we will see.
Italy's decline from Euro 2021 champions to missing three straight World Cups represents one of international football's most dramatic collapses. The job has become a poisoned chalice, with Gattuso lasting just 18 months before the latest qualifying failure proved too much.
Even Massimiliano Allegri, currently at Milan, has been linked with the position, but the lack of federation leadership means no serious negotiations can begin with any candidate.
The Napoli president's willingness to release Conte marks a stunning reversal from last summer, when the pair's relationship nearly ended in divorce. Conte was reportedly close to walking away after disagreements over transfer strategy and the club's ambitions.
Now, with Napoli seven points behind Inter with seven matches remaining in their title defence, De Laurentiis appears ready to let his coach pursue international football again.
Conte's history with the national team adds another layer to this saga. During his 2014-2016 stint, he:
His willingness to return now, a decade later, suggests either a change in personal priorities or recognition that the Italy job represents unfinished business.
The implications stretch across both domestic and international football. Napoli's stuttering title defence could lose its architect just when stability is most needed. After delivering the club's first Scudetto in 33 years last season, Conte's potential departure would leave a massive void.
With seven matches remaining and a seven-point gap to Inter, Napoli's season hangs in the balance. The uncertainty over Conte's future could either galvanise the squad or create the kind of instability that derails campaigns.
De Laurentiis would need to identify a replacement capable of maintaining Napoli's status among Serie A's elite, no simple task given Conte's transformative impact.
For Italy, securing Conte would represent a coup, bringing in a coach with:
But Conte's insistence on organisational stability before committing shows he's learned from past experiences. He won't inherit another mess without guarantees of proper support structures.
The timeline is clear: nothing substantive can happen until Italy elects a new federation president on 22 June. Until then, Conte will continue at Napoli, likely using the remaining seven matches to either secure Champions League qualification or position himself for a graceful exit.
The broader question is whether Italian football can fix its institutional problems quickly enough to attract top coaching talent. Conte's conditional interest sends a message: even desperate national teams can't simply assume elite coaches will accept dysfunction anymore. Italy must prove it's serious about reform, or risk watching another World Cup cycle slip away.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute betting advice.
Conte wants the Italy job but won't commit until the Italian Football Federation resolves its leadership crisis and elects a new president on June 22. Napoli president De Laurentiis has offered to release him from his contract.
Conte considers the federation too disorganized without a president, following resignations of both Gennaro Gattuso and Gabriele Gravina. He wants stability before committing to the role.
Italy won't name a new coach until after June 22, when the federation holds its extraordinary meeting to elect a new president. The coaching position remains vacant until then.
Yes, Antonio Conte previously managed the Italy national team from 2014 to 2016, leading them to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals before joining Chelsea.
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