Who Could Replace Antonio Conte At Napoli? Italian Prepares For Dismissal As Serie A Champions Target Multiple Names

Antonio Conte is set to have a meeting with Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, over his future as Gli Azzurri manager – but who could replace the Italian?

Will Napoli Sack Antonio Conte?

The Italian coach is at risk of losing his place as Napoli manager after the Serie A champions were beaten 2-0 by Bologna and dropped to fourth in the table.

This defeat made it three consecutive matches without a win across all competitions for Napoli and the Scudetto holders have failed to score a single goal during this run.

Following the defeat by Bologna, Conte made some damning assessments over himself and the Napoli roster, stating that he is not ‘doing a good job’ and questioning the players’ spirit.

Overall, Napoli have lost five matches in all competitions this season, while also suffering a major blow as Kevin De Bruyne has been ruled out until March 2026.

Many expected the Naples-based side to be crowned champions once again this season after their miraculous run, but the injuries to De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku have had a lasting impact.

Last season, Gli Azzurri secured a fourth league title on the final day of the season, as Scott McTominay announced himself as one of the best players in Italy.

The Scottish international contributed to 18 goals in Serie A last season (12G + 6A), but his performances this year have failed to live up to those lofty heights with just two goals in 10 appearances.

This drop in performance has played a huge part in Conte’s uncertain future and the Napoli manager could be heading for the exit before the end of 2025.

Now may be the best time for Napoli and Conte to agree a mutual split as we head into an international break, but who could take the reins in Naples?

Who Could Be The Next Napoli Manager?

Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini has been away from soccer since October 2024, as the Italian ended his spell as manager of the Saudi Arabia national team.

The 60-year-old has recently been linked with a return to management, turning down the chance to manage Saudi Pro League side, Al Sadd, as Mancini looks for a job in Europe.

Managing at club level has also become somewhat of a distant memory for Mancini, with his latest roles coming on the international stage as Saudi Arabia and Italy boss.

His last outing with a soccer club came between July 2017 – June 2018 as Zenit St. Petersburg manager, meaning Mancini has been away from league action for over seven years.

Despite this lengthy absence, Mancini has a host of experience in Serie A, managing Inter, Lazio, and Fiorentina, lifting four Coppa Italia trophies, three Scudettos and two Supercoppa Italianas.

Mancini has taken charge of 316 matches in Italy’s top-flight, winning 165, drawing 88 and losing 63, meaning Napoli would be hiring a man with huge success in Serie A.

The 60-year-old is currently a free agent, meaning Napoli would need to pay an extra fee to appoint Mancini and he would be available to start right away.

Thiago Motta

One man that is looking to re-build his reputation in Italy is former Juventus manager, Thiago Motta, who has been linked with a host of jobs this season.

The Serie A has seen several managerial casualties so far, with Igor Tudor, Patrick Vieira and Stefano Pioli all leaving their post after a run of poor results.

Ivan Juric is also on thin ice with Atalanta and Raffaele Palladino is set to take over, as the Italian looks to secure Ademola Lookman’s future in Bergamo.

Motta has been tipped to take a new role for many months now after being dismissed by Juventus in March of this year, ending his time in Turin with 18 wins in 42 matches.

The 43-year-old may have struggled with the Bianconeri, but his spells with Genoa, Spezia and Bologna show signs of promise – which may convince Napoli into an agreement.

Fabio Grosso

The first name on this list that is currently working as a first team coach is Sassuolo boss, Fabio Grosso, as the Italian continues to impress in Serie A.

Last season, Grosso guided Sassuolo back into Italy’s top division after clinching the Serie B title, winning 25 of the 38 league matches along the way.

Grosso has managed to deal with the step-up in quality this season, as Sassuolo sit eighth in Serie A and picked up a huge 3-0 win over Atalanta most recently.

Sassuolo have seen star managers go on to achieve huge success in recent years, with Roberto De Zerbi impressing in Ligue 1 and the Premier League.

The 47-year-old is under contract until June 2027, meaning Napoli would need to pay an additional fee to cover the contract termination with Sassuolo.