Antonio Conte vs. Pep Guardiola: Napoli boss 'to battle' departing Man City manager for leading role as Partenopei 'consider' replacements

Antonio Conte has reportedly decided to leave his position at Napoli at the end of the current campaign.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the 56-year-old tactician reportedly reached his decision a month ago and has already informed club president Aurelio De Laurentiis of his desire to step down.

It is understood that the former Chelsea and Juventus manager will terminate his contract, which was originally scheduled to run until June 2027, by mutual consent.

Crucially, Conte will leave the Maradona without receiving any severance pay, and the club will not be required to pay an exit fee to facilitate his departure.

Conte vs Pep? Ex-Chelsea boss and Spaniard 'considered' for national team vacancy

Conte's reported departure marks the continuation of his traditional two-year rule, having rarely extended his stay beyond two seasons at any single club throughout his illustrious career.

Despite a highly successful first year in Naples, where he delivered a historic Scudetto title to the club, his relationship with De Laurentiis is believed to have grown cold behind the scenes.

Speculation in Italy heavily links the veteran coach with a return to the international stage, with the Italy national team job currently vacant following a disappointing qualification campaign.

The Italian Football Federation are rumoured to view the tactician as the ideal candidate to spearhead a long-term project aimed at securing qualification for the 2030 World Cup.

According to Football Italia, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would be the federation's dream candidate, as the Azzurri bid to reach the next global tournament after missing the 2018, 2022 and soon-to-commence 2026 editions.

While Man City are yet to release an official statement, the Spanish manager is widely expected to leave at the end of this season, and could be tempted by a national team role.

Who replaces Conte at Napoli if fiery boss leaves?

The above source has suggested three names for a possible move to the Maradona if Conte indeed departs.

Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri are the leading candidates to move to Naples, with the latter potentially returning to his old stomping ground, where he nearly claimed the Scudetto in 2016-17 and especially in 2017-18.

Another name on the shortlist is Sassuolo boss Fabio Grosso, who has notably won Serie B with Frosinone in 2023 and Sassuolo last year, sandwiched between a spell managing Ligue 1 side Lyon.

Grosso's Sassuolo side have had a strong return to Serie A this term, comfortably sitting 11th in the table ahead of the campaign's final round of matches.

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