Antonio Conte turned down the Napoli job last week, but it wasn’t because he’s on poor terms with president Aurelio De Laurentiis. The coach, who stated that he didn’t want to take over a team midseason, expounded on it in the full version of his interview with Rai 2’s TV show Belve (via Corriere dello Sport).
“De Laurentiis and I talk often. There’s mutual esteem, and he has always shown that. We have a personal rapport. He made a precise choice by hiring Rudi Garcia after Luciano Spalletti. His decisions have demonstrated that he’s a forward-thinking person and a visionary. I think time will prove him right this year too.”
Conte praised José Mourinho.
“He’s a winner. I respect and appreciate him a lot. The incident? I was celebrating with my fans on my bench. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. We have always said what we thought to each other. We shook hands the next time we met. There was a heated stretch between us in England, but everything is fine now. I don’t recall whether he told me to meet him in his office. It might have happened. But that’s my nature. I come from the streets.”
Conte had a famous quarrel with Andrea Agnelli too.
“I showed him the finger, but I don’t regret that since we were on opposite sides. It was a reaction after he disrespected me and to a series of insults. We cleared the air afterward.”
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