Former Tottenham, Inter, Juventus and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte held talks to replace Rudi Garcia at Napoli, per Sky Italy. The owner of the club, Aurelio De Laurentiis, reportedly formally approached the former Inter coach to take the job at Napoli. After a disappointing start of the season under Garcia, who was appointed in the summer to replace Luciano Spalletti, who stepped down from his role after winning the 2022-23 Serie A title, Napoli's president considered Conte the right man to take the job, but at the end Conte decided to wait until the summer 2024 to get back in the coaching business.
Conte himself posted on his Instagram account on Wednesday: "I hear insistent transfer rumors that link me to important clubs, but I reiterate that for now there is only the desire to continue to enjoy my family."
On Monday, De Laurentiis said about Garcia that the "decision will arrive at the right moment," while Conte spoke on Tuesday during the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Agnelli's ownership at Juventus. "I want to rest and enjoy my family, then you know very well that many things can happen on this path. Now I want to enjoy this atmosphere and what we have around," Conte said to Sky Italy.
🚨🔵 Antonio Conte had a long, direct talk with Napoli today. Discussions were not positive as Italian coach decided to keep waiting for new opportunity.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 11, 2023
Napoli president De Laurentiis spoke directly to Conte but no agreement.
Antonio prefers to wait before accepting new job. pic.twitter.com/UbHYKXpnAa
Napoli appointed Garcia in the summer after Spalletti decided to leave the job after winning the historic Serie A title, before accepting the new role to replace Roberto Mancini at the Italian National Team. De Laurentiis decided to agree a deal with Garcia after talking to multiple managers, including Thiago Motta who landed at Bolonga and Luis Enrique who ultimately went to PSG. Garcia was considered the right person and manager, considering his way of playing with a similar attitude and tactical ideas of Spalletti. De Laurentiis decided to appoint a coach that could work on the same path that Spalletti started. However, things seem to be different now.
The French coach had a difficult start of the season. Napoli won four Serie A games, drew two and lost two against Lazio and Fiorentina in eight clashes, but also lost to Real Madrid in the second game of the UEFA Champions League's group stage, after winning away against Braga.
More than the results on the pitch, that are not too disappointing, the club are much more worried about the way Napoli are playing compared to the past season, considering the club only sold defender Kim Min-Jae in the summer. On top of that, the relationship of key players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen and Garcia have been publicly strained, showing that there is something that needs to be adjusted between the coach and the dressing room.
In particular, the Nigerian striker, who faced coach Garcia against Bologna while he was going to the bench and told him directly that he should have tried to play with two central striker, pointing at him with two fingers. The player apologized to the coach and the other players, but that was a clear signal that something needed to be fixed soon.
Also, former sport director of the club Cristiano Giuntoli left in the summer and was appointed by Juventus. Giuntoli was one of the minds behind the success of Napoli, the man who signed players like Kim, Kvaratskhelia or Osimhen, but also a figure that could help in this moment of transition to a new coach and management.
The situation is still difficult to handle, with the current Napoli coach's authority already undermined after the Conte rumours became public. The future of Garcia seems much more complicated and insecure as things stand today, regardless what happened with Conte. After the International break, Napoli will face Verona, Union Berlin and AC Milan, three games that will likely decide the future of the French manager.
