Napoli Stance On Antonio Conte Sack Made Clear After ‘Real Emergency’ Scudetto Collapse
The 3-0 defeat by Juventus all but ended their faint Scudetto hopes.
Napoli are continuing to back Antonio Conte despite the club’s slump in form this season.
Antonio Conte Concerned But Job Is Safe
Conte admitted that the Partenopei are in a “real emergency” after their 3-0 defeat by Juventus on Sunday.
The loss in Turin left them nine points adrift of Serie A leaders Inter Milan and all but ended their Scudetto hopes.
Jonathan David made the first-half breakthrough before late goals from Kenan Yildiz and Filip Kostic rendered Conte’s side well beaten, piling on the misery after a run of just one win in their last five fixtures.
The depleted visitors were reeling from a string of injuries, despite the timely return of Romelu Lukaku. Kevin De Bruyne, David Neres, Billy Gilmour and Frank Anguissa were among those absent for the showdown.
Post-match, Conte delivered a bleak assessment, ruing Napoli’s seemingly never-ending fitness woes.
He said: “The last league game we lost was against Udinese, and then many others happened, including the Super Cup, which we played in a state of emergency. Now we’re in a real emergency.
“We’re losing players one after another. We’re not talking about short absences: some have had surgery, others have had extended recovery times.”
Regardless, Conte is not believed to be at risk of the sack, and any decision over his long-term future is likely to wait until the end of the season. There is also an understanding of the difficult hand he has been dealt.
According to reports last month, owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is planning to hand Conte a new contract, with an extension to 2029 in the offing. The Italian, of course, signed a new three-year deal in 2024.
The Supercoppa Italiana triumph in Saudi Arabia, his second trophy at the club, has also played in his favour.
⏹️ Full time: #JuventusNapoli 3-0
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/wk7K1ccAWb
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) January 25, 2026
Napoli Rallying Cry Issued For Make-Or-Break Week
However, the brutal fixture list provides no respite. Napoli return to action against Chelsea on Wednesday in their Champions League decider, and likely need to win to avoid elimination.
They will then host a rejuvenated Fiorentina at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday.
Conte, hoping for an immediate reaction this week, issued a rallying cry, urging the club to remain united.
“The boat is in the middle of the sea with very high waves and it’s dangerous, but no one wants to disembark,” he added. “It’s a question of honour, of men even before sportsmen.
“We have to keep moving forward. These guys deserve praise: they play with intensity, with few days of recovery, with the group increasingly thinning out.”
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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