Antonio Conte is formally the new Napoli coach, coronating a lengthy chase. They wanted him last summer to succeed Luciano Spalletti already and then in November when Rudi Garcia got the boot. The manager inked a three-year contract.
According to Alfredo Pedullà, he’ll make €6/6.5M per year plus add-ons. There’ll be no exit clauses. The manager was determined to return to Italy after his spell at Tottenham and a sabbatical. He preferred not to take over the team midseason, though.
While the Milan fans pushed for Conte, Napoli were the only Italian club that truly went after him this summer. Juventus hand-picked Thiago Motta a while back. The Partenopei also considered Stefano Pioli and Vincenzo Italiano. However, it became a two-man race with Gian Piero Gasperini in the home stretch. The Atalanta gaffer, who would have been a lot more affordable, will stay where he is. The star manager has reportedly asked to keep Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia amid their ongoing sagas.
The 54-year-old last coached Inter in the Peninsula, leaving shortly after conquering the Scudetto due to financial problems. He helmed Tottenham from November 2021 to March 2023, finishing fourth and then getting the ax because of underwhelming results and a strained relationship with the brass.
Napol will be the seventh Italian team coached by Conte after Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta, Siena, and Juventus. He also managed Chelsea and the Azzurri. On the bench, he won Serie A four times and the Premier League once, among other trophies.
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