Agent: ‘Lobotka will pressure to leave Napoli if Conte remains’

Napoli are shaken by comments from Stanislav Lobotka’s agent, who warned ‘if Antonio Conte stays for another year, the player will put pressure on me to leave’ in 2026.

The club is already dealing with the effects of a run of poor results, culminating in this weekend’s 2-0 Serie A defeat at Bologna.

Conte said after that match that he did not see the same ‘hunger’ from his team that helped them win the Scudetto last term.

Now statements from Lobotka’s agent to the media in Slovakia have filtered through to Italy, and are piling further tension upon the reigning Champions of Italy.

“If Stano wins a third title at Napoli, it will certainly be easier for him to leave, but I don’t like to predict these things,” agent Branislav Jasurek told Sport24.

“It’s true he has an improved contract, but he is already 30 years old, and it will be almost unrealistic to physically endure working under Conte for much longer.

“What Conte requires is brutally demanding. The coach’s running requirements in terms of statistics are just incomparable to anyone else.”

On top of Lobotka’s own comments to a Slovakian podcast suggesting Kevin De Bruyne’s injury was down to the intense training regime required by Conte, there is a pattern building of the midfielder’s frustration.

“It is also important that Napoli can get decent money for Lobotka next summer, so in terms of that too, a transfer in 2026 makes perfect sense to me,” added the representative.

“Stano is happy in Italy and he likes it there. However, if Conte stays at the club for another year, I think Lobotka will put pressure on me to leave. In any case, the summer is still a long way off.”

Lobotka turns 31 later this month and has been at Napoli since his €24m transfer from Celta Vigo in January 2020.

His contract runs to June 2027, although the club does have an option to extend for a further year.

He made 11 competitive appearances this season, in a campaign affected by repeated injury problems, which his agent puts down to Conte over-working him.

“Napoli invested well and brought in new players. That’s why I don’t understand why Lobotka had to play three difficult matches in eight days before international duty,” added Jasurek.

“They could’ve given him a little rest, so he would’ve been available to play for Slovakia in Northern Ireland.”

It was on international duty that Lobotka sustained the latest adductor injury in early October.