Antonio Conte to Chelsea? Napoli make decision after shock return link

Napoli have decided against appointing Antonio Conte as their next manager after the Italian was linked with a surprise return to Chelsea.

Conte has been out of football since leaving Tottenham by mutual consent a year ago but has expressed a desire to return to management this summer.

Napoli are looking for a long-term replacement for Francesco Calzona, their caretaker head coach who was appointed in February for the remainder of the season, and have held talks with Conte over a possible move.

However, Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli now reports that Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, is looking at alternative options to Conte.

Meanwhile, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that Chelsea and Conte have held talks over a surprise return to Stamford Bridge this summer.

During his two-year stint at Chelsea, Conte won the Premier League and FA Cup, but departed Stamford Bridge following a bust-up with the club’s hierarchy and several players including Diego Costa.

Italian reports have also claimed that Conte, via an intermediary, has also offered himself to Chelsea with Mauricio Pochettino’s future in doubt.

However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that Conte has not made any approach to his former club.

‘I’m receiving many questions about reports from Italy saying that Antonio Conte offered himself to Chelsea,’ Romano said on his YouTube channel.

‘Antonio Conte is not offering himself to anyone. He’s not in advanced contacts or concrete contacts with English clubs, but this point about Chelsea is absolutely not true, Conte didn’t offer himself to Chelsea.’

Conte gave a lengthy interview with The Telegraph earlier this year in which he outlined the conditions he demands for his next club, with the Italian keen to join a side who are better placed to compete for top honours than Tottenham were.

‘If the final target is to win the league and lift trophies, it’s important to offer entertainment to the crowd,’ Conte explained.

‘But to be only an entertaining team is not enough if you want to win. I know because I coached the top teams and they always asked to win.

‘For me, now it’s impossible to work for an only entertainment team because the expectation is always that you have to win.

‘I love my past, but at the same time the expectation you bring is always very high and if you don’t win, you have failed. The best possible option is to entertain and win. And to be celebrated, I have to win. Otherwise, the others are waiting to celebrate my failure. This is the truth.’

After successfully turning Tottenham’s campaign around in his first season at the club, securing Champions League football in the process, the wheels fell off in Conte’s second season.

A 3-3 draw away at Southampton, in which his side conceded two late goals, sparked a furious reaction from Conte who slated his players in his post-match press conference and he had left the club by mutual agreement by the time Spurs’ next game rolled around.

He has been linked with a host of jobs around Europe in the past year but is thought to be waiting for the perfect marriage, while he is also believed to be keen to remain in Italy with his wife and daughter having stayed behind while he was managing Spurs.

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