Antonio Conte and Napoli are headed toward the last year of his original contract, but, even though he’s unlikely to extend it, there are no hints about a divorce, unlike last season, when he was heavily rumored to return to Juventus at this point, Il Mattino reports.
The parties sticking together without a new deal would be unusual. Top teams generally don’t start a season with a lame-duck coach. Moreover, it’d be the first time the gaffer has stayed at a club for more than two campaigns in a long while. He had left, or had been ousted, beforehand at Tottenham, Italy, Chelsea, and Inter. His only previous lengthy run was with the Bianconeri.
Despite the subpar title defense and the early elimination from the UEFA Champions League, Conte and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis would be content with how the season has gone, provided they finish in the top four. It’d add €70M to their budget and allow them to keep their current payroll, without making cuts or pursuing ‘plusvalenze.’
The owner and the boss have a tight relationship. It could be enough to guarantee continuity. The patron is delighted to have found an all-encompassing and charismatic gaffer. Conversely, the tactician is not as restless as he used to be.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, director Giovanni Manna is instead under scrutiny. He has splurged on a few players, Sam Beukema, Lorenzo Lucca, and Noa Lang, who haven’t lived up to the hype.
It’d be an uncharacteristic scenario for a high-caliber coach and team, but he and De Laurentiis are far from ordinary. The rumor mill has been conspicuously quiet about alternative landing spots for the manager and other options for the Azzurri bench.
