Antonio Conte says Juventus rumours 'hurt' and opens up on decisive meeting with Napoli president as coach explains decision to stay at Serie A champions

After leading Napoli to a Serie A title, Conte was reportedly considering leaving the club and had been in talks with Juventus. He maintains that he did not discuss a move with Juve, and any third-party approach was dismissed out of respect for his contract. The Italian said a decisive meeting with Napoli president De Laurentiis helped clear up key issues and reinforced his commitment to the project.

The Juventus rumours sparked unease among Napoli supporters, especially after a title-winning campaign. Conte’s public commitment puts those doubts to rest. His focus remains on building a team that combines effort, grit, and “sporting nastiness.” With a two-year contract in place and family settled in Naples, he aims to push for more silverware.

Speaking in an interview with Corriere della Sera, Conte admitted the Juventus links “hurt” because they ignored his loyalty and existing deal with Napoli. He said: "I have had no contact with anyone because to anyone who tried to contact me with third parties I always replied that I would speak to the club at the end of the season as is always done. And only if the meeting had not satisfied the parties would I have opened up to another situation, having a contract with Napoli for another two years anyway.”

When asked how did his meeting go with De Laurentiis, he said: "In our meeting we clarified things, talking was fundamental. He understood the mistakes or in any case the situations that need to be improved. I have a contract and the clarification was the key point. The rest were rumours that hurt, they didn't take into account how I am."

The 55-year-old remains at the helm of the reigning Italian champions and will look to defend the title next season. After sorting internal matters with De Laurentiis, the focus shifts to transfers and pre-season preparations. The challenge now is keeping the squad sharp and hungry with no more distractions about his future.