Now it's official: Antonio Conte is no longer Napoli's manager. The announcement, which rocks the Italian football landscape, came this evening during a joint press conference between the Salento-born coach and president Aurelio De Laurentiis. The decision was formalized immediately after the victory at the Maradona stadium against Udinese, a victory that secured the Azzurri second place in the league, but it wasn't enough to mend a relationship frayed by internal tensions and external pressure.

Conte's accusation: "I failed on unity."

The split wasn't the result of a last-minute impulse. Conte revealed that he communicated his decision to De Laurentiis a month ago: "I called the president and told him I felt my journey here was over."
The coach did not hide his bitterness, focusing on what he defines as his only real misstep in the shadow of Vesuvius:
"I failed at one thing: I wasn't able to unite you, to bring total unity. And if you don't bring unity to the Napoli environment, it becomes difficult to compete against the other teams."

The attack on the "crows": "Whoever sows discord is a failure."

The Salento coach reserved his harshest words for some of the team and critics, accused of having destabilized the dressing room throughout the season:
"I've seen so much venom and discord against me and my players. Anyone who spreads venom is a failure, and Napoli doesn't need failures. This club needs serious people who want to love the team."
Conte admits he felt the pressure more than expected: "I thought I could enjoy this experience more, but my presence shifts too much pressure. After finishing tenth, there was already talk of a mandatory Scudetto. Instead of taking a breather, I had to push hard to keep the level high, starting with a traumatized group."

Between joys and sorrows: from the Scudetto to the abyss of Bologna.

In retracing the Neapolitan adventure, the former coach drew a clear line between the highest moment and the deepest crisis:
Best moment: "Winning the Scudetto, celebrating on the pitch and with the fans. I've won in my career, but never in this way. It's something I'll always carry in my heart."
The worst moment: "Bologna. Seeing that after a few months everything could fall apart was not easy. There were two options there: pretend nothing was happening or face the problem. We chose to react, we won a

Super Cup and finished in second place”.

De Laurentiis looks to the future: "The club is solid, but it needs to be rebuilt."
No Judas kisses or rag-throwing at the end. The farewell between the coach and the owner was marked by mutual respect. "The president never pushed me; it was my choice. A great friendship will remain, and Napoli is in safe hands," Conte concluded, closing with a thank you to the De Laurentiis family for the opportunity.

For his part, the Napoli president broadened his horizons, shifting his focus to the bigger picture: "The problem isn't just Napoli, but Italian football as a whole. We need a reorganization between the League, the Federation, and referees. Let's look at England: there they invest and build winning systems, here we get lost in structural discussions." De Laurentiis then reassured fans about the competitiveness of the squad: "We have about thirty good players; with a few targeted additions, we'll be competitive right away."

The bench conundrum and rumors about Conte's future

The conference ended to applause from the journalists present in the press room, but left unanswered major questions about the future of both sides.

Regarding his future, Conte poured cold water on the matter, also denying suggestions that he might take over the national team: "There's nothing concrete today, it's just talk." And when asked about the sensational transfer rumors surrounding the post-Guardiola era, the coach responded with a wry and pragmatic quip: "But are there the funds to hire a top coach?" Napoli has turned the page, and the hunt for a successor is officially on.