Conte's Napoli Exit: When Winning Just Isn't Enough

By Lewis Barnett 26 May, 2025 5 mins read 89 Views

So here's something that'll make your head spin.

Antonio Conte just delivered Napoli their first Serie A title in over three decades, beat Inter Milan by a single point in one of the most dramatic finales I've witnessed in years, and now he's apparently packing his bags anyway. I mean, what kind of backwards logic is that? The man literally just handed them their fourth Scudetto ever, and the club's already eyeing up his replacement like he's some kind of failure.

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The £25m Scotsman Who Saved Everything

Let me tell you about Scott McTominay for a second. This guy leaves Manchester United for £25 million last summer - and honestly, most people thought it was just another overpriced Premier League export heading south for an easy payday. Boy, were we wrong.

Friday night against Cagliari, with the title on the line, McTominay pulls off this absolutely ridiculous scissor kick that had me rewinding the footage three times just to believe it actually happened. Then Lukaku wrapped things up with a second goal, and suddenly Napoli are champions again. McTominay finished the season with 12 goals and 34 league appearances - they've literally named him Serie A Player of the Year.

Not bad for a "squad player" from Old Trafford, eh?

De Laurentiis: The President Who Can't Help Himself

Here's where things get messy, though. Aurelio De Laurentiis - Napoli's 75-year-old president who's got more opinions than a Twitter thread - apparently has his sights set on Champions League glory next season. Fair enough, you'd think. Except he's decided that Conte, the guy who just delivered the impossible, might not be teh right man for the job.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio (and that guy's usually spot-on with Italian football), there's going to be a meeting between Conte and the club hierarchy soon. But here's the kicker - everyone already knows how it's going to end. They're basically calling it a breakup meeting before it's even happened.

The word is that De Laurentiis has already got Massimiliano Allegri lined up as a replacement. Allegri! The same guy who's been out of work since leaving Juventus.

When Success Breeds Contempt

What really gets me about this whole situation is the underlying tension that's been brewing for months. Reports suggest Conte and De Laurentiis have been at each other's throats over player recruitment and training facilities - you know, the basic stuff you'd expect a club president to sort out for his title-winning manager.

Conte's got a contract until 2027, by the way. Three years left on his deal, and they're already shopping around for his replacement two days after winning the league. It's like breaking up with someone immediately after they've just bought you the perfect birthday present.

But here's the thing that really made me laugh - De Laurentiis actually left the door open when DAZN asked him about Conte's future after the title celebration. His response? "Never say never." Then he went on this whole spiel about respecting coaches' characters and not forcing them into "iron-clad contracts."

The Champions League Gamble

Listen, I get it. De Laurentiis wants European success, and the Champions League format changes have made it even more lucrative than before. But here's what I don't understand - why would you ditch the guy who just proved he can handle pressure and deliver results when it matters most?

Conte's track record speaks for itself. Chelsea, Inter Milan, now Napoli - everywhere he goes, trophies follow. Yet somehow, that's not enough for a club that hadn't won Serie A since the Diego Maradona era.

The whole situation feels like a classic case of "be careful what you wish for." Napoli fans spent years dreaming of another Scudetto, and now that they've got it, the club's already moving the goalposts.

Poor Conte. Guy can't catch a break even when he's literally holding the trophy.

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https://sportingexcitement.com/premier-league/wild-scenes-what-really-happened-in-chelseas-dressing-room-after-that-massive-top-four-finish