UAn explosive backstory is rocking the world of Italian football. During the Netweek Calcio Show program, Massimo Brambati reconstructed the dynamics that led Antonio Conte to stay at Napoli, denying rumors of his return to Juventus and pointing the finger at Cristiano Giuntoli, the former Juventus director since yesterday.
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According to Brambati, Conte's failure to land in Turin would be linked to an episode dating back to October 2023. At the time, with Rudi Garcia on the grill at Napoli, Giuntoli contacted Conte, inviting him not to accept the Azzurri bench with the promise of a future at Juventus: “Don't go to Naples, I'll take care of you”, Giuntoli would have said.
Giuntoli's broken promise to Conte
A promise, however, remained a dead letter. “Giuntoli disappeared, he has not been heard from again”, revealed Brambati, underlining how Conte waited in vain for a meeting with the Juventus manager, which never materialized.
Brambati's story also sheds light on the relationship between Conte and the Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis. Despite rumors of tension, amplified by the lack of a hug between the two after winning the Scudetto, De Laurentiis would have done everything to keep the coach.
“Conte had a three-year contract with Napoli, and the president, after the triumph in the championship, put 200 million on the table for the market, in addition to resources deriving from possible sales of Anguissa and Raspadori”, explained Brambati. When Conte reminded De Laurentiis of an alleged verbal agreement that would have allowed him to leave the club at the end of the season, the Azzurri patron responded: “Yes, but not for another Italian team.”
Brambati then reported the words of Giorgio Chiellini, according to whom Tale he wanted to “close the circle” with a return to Juventus, but the conditions were not favourable. “Juventus must thank Giuntoli if Conte did not return last year”, concluded Brambati, exonerating the Lecce coach from any responsibility and pointing the finger at the Juventus management.
This background story reopens the debate on the future of the Juventus bench and Giuntoli's future in the world of football, while Naples enjoys its leader, firm at the helm of a team that continues to dream big.
Article published on 4 June 2025 - 08:50
This article is very interesting, but there are some things that are not clear. Why did Giuntoli promise Conte not to go to Naples? And then, why did De Laurentiis offer so much money? It would be useful to have more details.