Antonio Conte says he’d hire himself as Italy coach as Napoli president makes feelings clear

There was some very mixed messaging from Napoli over Antonio Conte’s future.

The former Italy coach is being linked with a return, and unsurprisingly that became a topic after his side beat Milan in Serie A.

And for Conte, he can see why.

“Let’s not forget that last year, in the last three months, there was talk of me leaving Naples to join Juve, right?” he began.

“The media should write: it’s right that my name is on that list.

“If I were the president of the Federation, I would take myself into consideration, along with others: for many reasons, I would include Conte.

“I’ve already been in the national team and I know the environment. It flatters me because it’s something beautiful to represent your country.

“You know very well that I have another year on my contract and that at the end of the year I will meet with the president.”

His boss and president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, was also asked about the idea, and said he wouldn’t stand in Conte’s way – but wouldn’t need to.

“If Antonio asked me, I’d say yes,” he responded.

“But since he’s very intelligent, as long as there’s no serious interlocutor—and there hasn’t been one so far—I think he’d give up on imagining himself in charge of something completely disorganized.”