Conte and De Laurentiis Clash Over Inter Milan’s Achievements

Conte calls for respect for Inter After De Laurentiis remarks 

Antonio Conte responded immediately to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, urging greater respect for Inter Milan’s Serie A championship.

During his Napoli exit press conference, Antonio Conte responded to De Laurentiis by defending Inter Milan’s league title achievement...

Napoli confirmed the departure of manager Antonio Conte on Monday with a brief four-word statement. The announcement came less than 24 hours after Conte revealed his exit during a press conference where he and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis had a heated exchange.

“Thanks for everything, coach,” the club posted on their social media page.

Napoli closed their season with a 1-0 home win over Udinese on Sunday, securing second place behind Serie A champions Inter Milan. Conte announced he was stepping down at a press conference before clashing with the president.

De Laurentiis said Napoli would have defended their title if injuries had not depleted the squad during the campaign.

Napoli struggled for much of the second half of the season as key players including Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo were sidelined for extended periods.

“Without the injuries, we would have been the champions,” De ‌Laurentiis said.

Conte, seated beside the president, responded immediately and called for greater respect toward Inter’s achievements.

“That probably would not have happened,” Conte said. “Inter's merits need to be recognised.

“I'm sorry, but I don't like clinging to these things. We have to acknowledge others' victories and show respect. If we want respect, we ‌have to give it. Inter deserved to win the league, with injuries or not.”

Thanks for everything, coach! 💙 pic.twitter.com/Ojka3u96ov

— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) May 25, 2026

The pair said the decision to end their working relationship had been made months earlier in the season.

De Laurentiis declined to name any candidates to replace Conte. He suggested that returning players could perform well under a different coaching approach.