Napoli monitor Sarri & Mancini in Conte successor hunt

Napoli have begun quietly exploring their options for next season’s head coach, with Aurelio De Laurentiis acknowledging internally that Antonio Conte’s future at the club is far from guaranteed, and two familiar Italian names have emerged as potential alternatives.

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Conte has delivered a Scudetto and a Supercoppa Italiana during his two years in Naples, but his public declaration of interest in the Italy job has created genuine uncertainty about his next move.

Should he depart, Napoli will need to act swiftly and decisively, and according to Il Mattino, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the club’s thinking has already turned to experienced domestic options.

Sarri & Mancini on Napoli shortlist to succeed Conte

Maurizio Sarri is the name most prominently linked as a contingency plan.

The 67-year-old famously produced one of Napoli’s most thrilling sides in recent memory during his time at the club between 2015 and 2018, and his coaching ability remains undimmed, as his Lazio side demonstrated in their impressive recent win at the Maradona.

His continued capacity to shape and improve squads makes him an attractive option for De Laurentiis should Conte walk away.

Roberto Mancini represents the other name under consideration.

The former Italy manager is currently in charge of Al-Sadd in Qatar, where he is on the verge of winning the league title.

Like Sarri, he has not hidden his desire to return to Italian football, with the national team a potential destination, but is considered unlikely to be the FIGC’s first choice when the presidential election concludes in June.

That could leave him available for a club role, and Napoli’s interest is real even if preliminary.
The coming weeks will provide greater clarity on both Conte’s intentions and the wider managerial landscape.