Antonio Conte remains a strong candidate to take over as head coach of the Italy national team after Gennaro Gattuso’s recent resignation. Reports on Wednesday suggest that Napoli has four potential candidates ready to step in should Conte leave.
Possible Napoli Head Coach Candidates if Conte Takes the Italy Job
Alongside Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri, Conte is at the forefront of the list of potential replacements for Gattuso in the Italy national team. There are also suggestions of Roberto Mancini’s return and the possibility of former Inter coach Simone Inzaghi being considered.
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The prospect of Conte returning to the national side has gained momentum, particularly following Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis’s interview with The Athletic on Tuesday.
NAPLES, ITALY – JUNE 26: Antonio Conte, new SSC Napoli head coach, is unveiled with Aurelio De Laurentiis, SSC Napoli president, on June 26, 2024, in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
De Laurentiis stated that Conte ‘will never abandon me at the last minute’ but has also urged him to make a decision soon so that Napoli can find a suitable replacement in time.
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According to Corriere dello Sport, Napoli’s preferred option to replace Conte, should he depart for the Italy role, is none other than Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
Gasperini was also a contender for the Napoli position before Conte was appointed in the summer of 2024, and tensions surrounding his future at Roma have arisen recently due to reports of friction with Giallorossi advisor Claudio Ranieri.
NAPLES, ITALY – NOVEMBER 03: Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta head coach, greets Antonio Conte, Napoli head coach, before the Serie A match between Napoli and Atalanta at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 03, 2024, in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
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Additionally, there are three other candidates reportedly in contention for the Napoli position: Vincenzo Italiano of Bologna, Fabio Grosso of Sassuolo, and a possible return of former head coach Maurizio Sarri, who previously managed Napoli from 2015 to 2018 and is currently in his second tenure at Lazio.