'It's the president's problem' - Antonio Conte staying quiet on Napoli future as coach quizzed on Italy rumours

The atmosphere at Napoli has soured following a run of results that has left them 12 points adrift of league leaders Inter. With the Scudetto race effectively over for the Partenopei, attention has turned to whether Conte will remain in the dugout beyond the current campaign. President Aurelio De Laurentiis has already hinted at a potential parting of ways, but Conte was in no mood to provide clarity to the media.

"It's a problem of the president; he can say whatever he wants absolutely, but I have nothing to answer him," Conte told DAZNwhen asked about the owner's recent comments. "If I had something to say to him, I would do it in private, not in public, because then the people and the media cannot see anything else. More is said in silence, and the better it is; it applies to everyone until the championship ends."

Conte expressed his irritation with the constant cycle of rumours, suggesting that his name is being used to fuel media narratives. The former Chelsea and Juventus boss believes that the focus should remain on the pitch rather than his contractual status or a potential move to the Azzurri ahead of the summer.

"I understand that my name is used to write and make newspaper pages and broadcasts, but sometimes things are invented and exploited," he added. "Behind the scenes you can do a thousand things, but in these situations the more we are in silence and focused on the team, the better it is, also as a form of respect for those who have always supported us."

Addressing the performance in the 2-0 defeat to Lazio, Conte was brutally honest about his side's shortcomings. Despite dominating possession, Napoli failed to register a meaningful threat, eventually succumbing to counter-attacks and a clinical Lazio side that sat deep and exploited gaps.

"It certainly wasn't a good match on our part; we put little quality in the middle of the field, and Lazio waited for us, closing the spaces and restarting," the coach admitted. "We had the ball for 70% of the match without ever kicking on goal. We took this beautiful blow to the teeth. Maybe I wasn't good at perceiving this 'malaise' that developed after Parma, and I didn't give the right motivations."

With five games remaining in the Serie A season, Napoli find themselves eight points clear of fifth-placed Como. While the title is out of reach, Conte is determined to ensure the club does not slide further down the table and secures its primary objective of a return to Europe's elite competition.

"The goal is to give our best, playing the last matches and scoring as many points as possible," Conte concluded. "We were good at holding our own in moments of difficulty, and this allows us to stay in the Champions League zone, and we must complete the work. When these things happen, in an intelligent way you have to understand why and put yourself right."