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News
- 43 minutes ago
Not Man City! Enzo Maresca the 'favourite' to replace legendary manager
Tom Weber
- 11 Apr 2026 06:03 BST
- 4 min read
News
Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is Napoli's preferred choice to replace Antonio Conte, according to reports in Italy.
The reigning Serie A champions look unlikely to defend their Scudetto, with Inter currently seven points clear at the summit. This, in conjunction with the early Champions League exit, means that it has been a hugely underwhelming season for Napoli.
Conte has come under some pressure over the course of the campaign, but the feeling is that club president Aurelio de Laurentiis would generally prefer to continue with the legendary Italian manager. However, the decision may ultimately be taken out of his hands.
Numerous outlets in Italy have suggested that Conte is a candidate to succeed Gennaro Gattuso, who resigned as head coach of the Italian national team following the playoff loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which saw the Azzurri miss out on a third consecutive World Cup.
Conte himself has thrown his hat in the ring, suggesting that he would be keen on the job. "If I were the president of the FIGC, I'd consider it [appointing myself]. But I have another year on my contract, and I'll meet with De Laurentiis," he said.
Napoli want Maresca
Given that the relationship between Conte and De Laurentiis has always been tense, his comments have put Napoli on alert. Club chiefs are putting contingency plans in place for the eventuality of the 56-year-old quitting.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Napoli's favourite candidate to succeed Conte is former Chelsea boss Maresca, who has been out of a job since walking out of Stamford Bridge on 1 January.
Maresca is widely considered to be a shoo-in to succeed his former mentor Pep Guardiola should he decide to leave Man City this summer. However, the Italian has been fielding strong interest from his home country in recent weeks.
In addition to Napoli, it has also been claimed that Fiorentina, now led by former Spurs director Fabio Paratici, were planning to make an ambitious approach for Maresca.
Juventus are also known admirers of the 46-year-old, but they just handed Luciano Spalletti a contract extension. The Napoli job, though, could become available.
However, it is unlikely that Maresca would be interested in that job over Man City, unless he receives indications that Guardiola is ready to continue at the helm of the Etihad club.
Napoli are therefore also considering alternative options such as Raffaele Palladino, currently in charge of Atalanta, and Vincenzo Italiano, who has enjoyed success with Bologna.
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