Serie A: Antonio Conte in no hurry to find a bench

Former Italian coach Antonio Conte on Wednesday swept away "the persistent rumors" which make him the next coach of Naples, replacing Rudi Garcia, whose team is in 5th place in the Italian Championship.

“I hear persistent transfer rumors that associate me with important clubs, but I repeat that for the moment there is only the desire on my side to continue waiting and enjoying my family,” he wrote on his Instagram account, without expressly mentioning Naples.

Former Italy coach (2014-16), former coach of Juventus (2011-14), Chelsea (2016-18) and Inter (2019-21), Conte, 54, no longer has a job since being fired by Tottenham in March 2023.

According to the Italian press, the former Juventus Turin midfielder is the priority of Aurelio De Laurentiis, the president and owner of the reigning Italian champion, to replace Rudi Garcia at the head of Napoli.

The French technician, in post since last July, is weakened by the 3-1 defeat at home against Fiorentina, just before the international break.

His team have conceded three defeats, all at home, in the ten Napoli matches he has managed, and are now seven points behind leaders AC Milan.

With 14 points in eight matches, Naples is having its worst start to the season since 2016-17, (also 14 pts), under the direction of Maurizio Sarri.

On Tuesday, Aurelio De Laurentiis admitted that he had questions about Garcia's future.

“I'm having a bad time with him. I am an entrepreneur, I have a duty to take an interest in my business. I will make the right decisions when the time comes. You should always take the time to think. Any hasty decision is bad,” he said during a round table organized by a university in Rome.