What Will Be The Outcome Of Antonio Conte’s And Noa Lang’s Public Spat? Will One Or Both Leave Napoli?

Antonio Conte is never one to shy away from a public argument but will his latest war of words with Noa Lang end in disaster? 

Conte is certainly up against it at the moment. The 6-2 UCL humiliation against PSV Eindhoven on October 21 followed on from the surprise 1-0 loss to Torino three days previous.

From Lang’s perspective, the Dutch winger is becoming increasingly frustrated with his lack of game time in Naples. He only joined the club in the summer from PSV for a reported fee of €25million.

Noa Lang’s Lack Of Napoli Minutes

Although the latest Serie A transfer rumors don’t include Noa Lang currently. His future could be the source of debate in the coming days.

Lang has struggled to fit in at Napoli and has registered just 110 minutes of action. That spans across six fixtures whereby each appearance has been made from the bench.

Against PSV Eindhoven – his former club – Lang was once again named as a substitute. He did get on the field but was unable to affect the game.

“Every player wants to play. I don’t know what I have to do more in order to start. I think it’s better if I don’t say anything more now,” Lang explained after the heavy loss.

Antonio Conte Reacts To Noa Lang

Unsurprisingly, Antonio Conte was quick to respond to Noa Lang. The Napoli head coach said that the Dutchman must continue to graft in order to make his starting XI.

“He was never a starter. Noa has to work, and he’ll go to the pitch when I decide it. Otherwise, he’ll stay on the bench,” Conte said via TMW.

The 2024-25 Serie A-winning head coach has certainly laid down the law. Lang’s frustrations are somewhat understandable but Conte has been crystal clear that starting berths are earned.

Lang’s choice of words have likely delayed him being fast-tracked to Conte’s starting lineup. Especially with a crunch encounter against Inter Milan to navigate on October 25.

Antonio Conte has just a 35.5% win rate in the Champions League as a manager 😮❌ pic.twitter.com/7bgY12iNbB

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) October 22, 2025

Will Antonio Conte Quit Napoli?

After the PSV Eindhoven bruising, talk of the next Napoli manager has intensified with Antonio Conte’s position looking more precarious.

The UCL hammering also provided a start reminder of Conte’s underwhelming record in Europe’s elite club competition. He has just 16 wins from 45 appearances.

That equates to a 35.5% win percentage. It may be somewhat premature but the thought of Conte quitting the Gli Azzurri can’t be ruled out completely.

Especially if more negative results occur and public dressing down of players continue to fill column inches. Previously, Conte has quit the likes of Atalanta, Tottenham and the Italy national team.

Could Noa Lang Be Sold?

After Noa Lang publicly displayed his displeasure at his lack of game time, there is the potential that he could be sold by Antonio Conte. Who has been ruthless with past players in similar scenarios.

Lang was one of the most expensive Serie A transfers of the summer. However, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, game time is imperative.

Considering Lang has not featured for the Dutch national side since June, a temporary move in January may be a more viable option for the player and Conte.

To sell him on a permanent deal would be risky. Lang has helped the likes of Ajax, Club Brugge (2) and PSV Eindhoven (2) to title success. Furthermore, Lang has scored 94 times across 319 appearances whilst weighing in with 72 assists.

What Other Players Has Antonio Conte Had Spats With?

During his time with Chelsea, Antonio Conte reportedly told Diego Costa he didn’t feature in his plans. That in itself is not unusual but he did so via text message.

Also with the Blues, Conte dropped David Luiz for a vital game against Manchester United. Conte was not happy with Luiz’s UCL performance against Roma and outted the Brazilian.

During his tenure with Tottenham, Conte publicly slated his entire squad after a number of poor results. Naturally, that damaged his relationship with most Spurs players.

Earlier this season, marquee summer signing Kevin De Bruyne reacted angrily to be subbed with Napoli losing to Milan. Conte explained he makes the decisions and De Bruyne insisted there was no problem between them.

From Noa Lang’s perspective – who admits that he has only spoken to Conte once – will want to avoid further verbal public spats in order to improve his chances of success in Naples.