Conte rejects Napoli, unexpected frontrunner to replace Garcia

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is considering his options, including Antonio Conte, to replace Rudi Garcia.

Napoli sits fifth in the Serie A standings with 14 points after eight games. That comes after four victories and two draws. In comparison to last season, under Luciano Spalletti, they were one of the most dynamic teams in Europe.

Positive results against Braga and a tight defeat to Real Madrid signaled progress for Garcia’s players in the Champions League. However, the French coach is under increasing scrutiny.

Meeting to discuss Rudi Garcia’s future

The former Al-Nassr manager succeeded Luciano Spalletti at Napoli this June. Both fans and experts had conflicting responses to the Partenopei’s decision to employ the manager. Now, Garcia is under the microscope.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis met with Garcia and other club executives on Monday. According to Sky Italia, this led to an open evaluation of whether or not the 59-year-old is suitable for the position.

Thus, Napoli is contemplating firing the Frenchman in the next few days. Consequently, it can begin looking for a successor during the current international break. Many high-profile managers have been mentioned in connection with the Italian side since the news spread.

Conte makes swift decision on Napoli call

As it turns out, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wanted to replace Rudi Garcia with Antonio Conte as head coach. However, Conte’s rejection was quite plain.

Neither financial nor technical considerations played into his stated decision to turn down Napoli’s offer, as confirmed by Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio. The former Tottenham boss declined the position because he would rather have a pre-season training camp to get ready for the next season.

De Laurentiis has opted to continue with Garcia for the time being, but the next games are crucial. Napoli, meanwhile, will have to explore its alternative possibilities. Relevo, a Spanish news outlet, suggests Lopetegui for the job because of his extensive coaching experience with the Spanish national team, Sevilla, and Wolves.

PHOTO: IMAGO / PPAUK