Antonio Conte is the new Napoli boss and the former Chelsea and Juventus manager has signed a three-year deal at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The Italian has been out of management since being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in March 2023.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Conte has reached a full agreement with Gli Azzurri over salary, image rights, and staff members. He replaces Francesco Calzona who leaves after returning to the Serie A giants for a short spell while continuing as Slovakia’s national team manager.
Napoli endured a disastrous season that saw them finish 10th in the Serie A table. It was a disastrous defense of their Scudetto and their mid-table finish means they won’t be playing European football in the 2024-25 campaign.
Antonio Conte arrives with an abundance of experience following reigns at Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Tottenham. He guided Juve to three Serie A titles and Inter to one before leaving for the Premier League on two occasions.
Napoli has pulled off a stunning appointment given their disappointing season and the 54-year-old returns to management in his homeland. He’s spent months studying offers to get back into the game but Gli Azzurri has convinced him to head back to the dugout.
“They helped us” – Francesco Calzona apologizes to fans for Napoli’s poor season as Antonio Conte replaces him
Francesco Calzona returned to Napoli in February after previously working with the Serie A giants as an assistant coach. He oversaw just three wins in 16 games amid a tumultuous time for the club with fans making their voices head.
The Slovakia boss alluded to this when bidding farewell to Naples and apologized to fans for the team’s struggles this season. He told DAZN:
“The fans protested in a civilized way, there’s nothing to say. They helped us until we had important targets, despite a lack of high-level performances. The lads are disappointed, there is nothing I can tell the fans. I’ve already explained what I think many times. I can only say that I am so sorry for them.”
Calzona insisted he gave his all but was now prepared to concentrate on coaching Slovakia at Euro 2024:
“I gave my all and the team tried to follow me. There were no arguments, only confrontations and tough training sessions. I have no regrets, I’d do it again another 100 times. From tomorrow, I’ll focus on Slovakia and the Euros.”
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