Reports from various outlets on Tuesday indicate that Antonio Conte is set to leave Napoli at the end of the 2025-26 season, and speculation over his replacement at the Stadio Maradona is already in full swing.
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, Fabrizio Romano and others, Conte has already informed Napoli President Aureli De Laurentiis that he intends to walk away from his role with the Partenopei once the 2025-26 season draws to a close this weekend.
He is one of three candidates, along with Massimiliano Allegri and Pep Guardiola, who are in line to take over the currently vacant head coach role with the Italy national team.
Conte is likely to leave Napoli by mutual consent, which means that he is expected to leave the club without severance pay.
Who could replace Conte as head coach of Napoli?
According to the initial reports on Tuesday, there are already two leading candidates to take over from Conte at Napoli for 2026-27.
NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 18: Maurizio Sarri SS Lazio head coach greets Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and SS Lazio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 18, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
According to Calciomercato.com, one option is to reinstate Maurizio Sarri, whose future with Lazio is in doubt just one year into his second Stadio Olimpico stint. The 67-year-old previously coached Napoli between 2015 and 2018 before being replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
Another strong option is the appointment of Massimiliano Allegri should he decide to leave Milan at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
GENOA, ITALY – MAY 17: Massimiliano Allegri, head coach of Milan, reacts during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and AC Milan at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on May 17, 2026 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Aurelio De Laurentiis has already been in contact with Allegri on several occasions in the past and that he might be the ‘no.1’ candidate this summer.
Tuesday’s reports claim that Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso is also a potential option for the Partenopei. Atalanta’s Raffaele Palladino and Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano could be under consideration as well, but they are described as being ‘in the second row’ for the Napoli job.