Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has come out to strongly dismiss reports suggesting that Antonio Conte is considering stepping down as manager of the Serie A champions.
Softfootball understands that Conte, who guided Napoli to the league title last season, is still very much committed to the club and focused on replicating that success again this term. Rumors had circulated earlier in the season about a fallout between Conte and Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian was substituted during a UEFA Champions League game, but those claims were swiftly debunked by De Bruyne himself.
According to Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle, De Laurentiis publicly debunked the rumours surrounding the Italian’s exit. Romano posted;
Conte has faced a challenging start to the campaign, managing without several key players including striker Romelu Lukaku, who suffered a long-term injury early in the season. Napoli were quick to act, bringing in Rasmus Højlund from Manchester United on loan with an obligation to buy as Lukaku’s temporary replacement.
Despite these setbacks, Napoli have remained competitive and currently sit fourth on the Serie A table with 22 points from 11 games, just two behind leaders Inter Milan as the league heads into the international break.
