Napoli – Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis discussed the future of coach Antonio Conte, using a marital metaphor to describe the relationship between the coach and the club. Interviewed by Tg1, the Napoli patron reiterated his great respect for Conte, but also emphasized the importance of mutual well-being.
“Will Conte stay at Napoli? Are these questions appropriate in a marriage, in your opinion?” De Laurentiis began. “In a marriage, the wife never wants to know if the husband will cheat on her, and vice versa.
Each of the two hopes that the other is respectful of the agreements signed in front of a contract and lawyers, or in front of a priest when it comes to a wedding. The problem is that one must be comfortable in a certain environment, if he is not comfortable and suffers from it he must change air. This happened with Spalletti”.
Conte's choice and the Scudetto success
De Laurentiis then praised the coach for the work he's done: "We have an extraordinary relationship with Conte , based on mutual respect and great professionalism, so I thank him."
The president emphasized the importance of the Scudetto's return: "The Scudetto has returned to Naples after two years. Winning two in three years against teams from the North is no easy feat. Especially when you're trying to keep your finances in order and stay out of debt. So, Conte and Conte, you see how well they work together. Time will tell."
The president revealed he's been following Conte for some time: "I've been following the coach for years because I met him in the Maldives about ten years ago. We had developed an excellent relationship based on friendship and respect, and when at a certain point I asked him to come and help us in November, he said to me, 'Look, Aurelio, we're very good friends.
I didn't build the team and I prefer to come in June, we have time to build something important together.' And so it was ,” concluded De Laurentiis, implying that Conte's future on the Azzurri bench will depend largely on his personal and professional well-being within the Napoli context.
I don't know if it's fair to make comparisons between marriage and football, but I think the well-being of the coach is very important for the team. If Conte is not happy, it could affect the players' performance.
I agree with you Enrico, but we also need to see if the results are good. If Napoli continues to win, perhaps personal problems can be put aside until the end of the season.