Antonio Conte departs Napoli as club clinches Serie A second place

Napoli finished the 2025‑26 Serie A season with a 1‑0 win over Udinese at the Stadio Diego Maradona, the decisive goal scored by Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund in the 24th minute. The victory secured the club's second‑place finish with 76 points.

After the match, manager Antonio Conte announced his departure, stating he had decided a month earlier to leave and that he could not bring the unity he considered essential: “I failed in one thing at Napoli: I wasn’t able to bring compactness to the club. I saw too much poison, too much negativity aimed at me and the players.” He added that internal tensions and injuries had made his position untenable. Conte thanked owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, describing his time at Napoli as an honour and a prestige.

De Laurentiis confirmed Conte’s exit, thanked him for the recent Serie A title and Supercoppa, and said the club will seek a new coach, mentioning Massimiliano Allegri as a leading candidate. The managerial change follows a season that saw Napoli recover from a 10th‑place finish the previous year to win the league and finish as runners‑up.