De Laurentiis shuts down claims Conte is considering resigning: ‘Fairytale’

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has shut down claims that Partenopei head coach Antonio Conte is considering tendering his resignation after slipping down to fourth place in Serie A, insisting that he is ‘proud to have a real man’ like Conte in the dugout. 

Four Serie A head coaches have lost or left their jobs over the last two weeks: Namely Igor Tudor at Juventus, Patrick Vieira at Genoa, Stefano Pioli at Fiorentina, and most recently Ivan Juric at Atalanta. 

There have been recent suggestions that Conte could soon be added to that list as he is supposedly considering leaving Napoli after slipping to fourth place in the Serie A table, and also being at risk of being knocked out of the Champions League at the end of the league phase. 

Napoli have led the Serie A table at various stages of the 2025-26 season, but have missed opportunities to extend their lead at the top, and now sit in fourth place behind Roma, Inter and Milan after a 0-0 draw against Como and a 2-0 defeat by Bologna over the last two weeks. 

In the Champions League, Napoli have won just one of their four matches, which leaves them in 24th place as things stand. If the Partenopei finish any lower, they will be eliminated from the Champions League at the end of the league phase. 

Despite the recent rumours online, De Laurentiis has released a statement on his personal social media channels insisting that there is no risk of Conte handing in his resignation at Napoli, labelling those reports as ‘fairytales’. 

The coach and President are due to sit down for talks later this week, reports on Monday confirmed.

“I’ve come across this ‘fairytale’ of Conte’s resignation,” De Laurentiis wrote on X. “I love social media because it’s a fast way to share your thoughts. As I’m sure you’re aware, not every thought is correct or sharable. 

“There has always been a special harmony between myself and Conte. 

“To the supporters who have read some of this nonsense, I say: I’m proud to have a real man like Antonio Conte by my side, and by the side of Napoli, and by the side of the players. He sacrifices every second of his life for his profession, with extreme generosity and dedication.

“This is the biggest guarantee one can give to a club, to the players and to the demanding fans of a club like Napoli.”