A phrase exchanged at a party ignites new suspicions. Unexpected alliances and contacts move underground. The greats of our soccer also challenge each other away from the field. A plot that promises sparks
Napoli-Conte, che intreccio: si è messa in mezzo anche… l’Inter (foto: Ansa/Lapresse) – serieanews.com
“Mister, aren’t you going to Juve?” This sentence, said in Ischia during Aurelio De Laurentiis’ birthday party, was enough to make the news bounce everywhere. Repubblica brought it up, reporting the siparietto with Antonio Conte, who between laughs was pinched by the president precisely on the hottest point of the moment: the future.
Because now, for Conte to stay in Naples, it seems increasingly unlikely. Of course, the Scudetto changed him. It gave him that sense of accomplishment that someone like him always seeks. The bond with Naples and the team has grown more than expected, for him and his staff. And so the idea of staying, of not giving up, is unlikely but not to be ruled out. On the part of Napoli there would be no obstacles: indeed, there is a desire to continue together, to build again on what is now Conte’s team, in the fullest sense of the word.
De Laurentiis has learned his lesson, though. Two years ago, with Spalletti’s sudden departure, the club was displaced. Not this time. This time the president moved ahead. And not with just anyone: Massimiliano Allegri. The contacts have been there, an agreement in principle is there. In short, should Conte decide to leave, Allegri would be ready to take his place.
Che intreccio tra Napoli e Inter per Allegri: dipende anche da Inzaghi
And this is where the picture gets complicated. Because in the waltz of benches, Inter suddenly enters as well. Yes, because Simone Inzaghi’s position is no longer as solid as it seemed. There is a Champions League final to play, sure. But meanwhile the rumors are chasing each other: there is a stratospheric offer from Al Hilal, who of heavy proposals from the Premier League. So here’s where staying in Milan becomes a question mark.
Che intreccio tra Napoli e Inter per Allegri: dipende anche da Inzaghi (LaPresse) – serieanews.com
But the twist could be right here. Because if Inzaghi were to leave, the first name on Marotta’s list would be Allegri himself. Contacts there have been, yes, even here, and also for several months, as we documented to you some time ago. The Nerazzurri executive considers him perfect to give continuity to the project: an experienced coach, used to managing ambitious groups, capable of keeping the Scudetto race alive and at the same time still dreaming of Europe.
Napoli and Inter, then, could find themselves against each other again. No longer for the title but for a name, for a coach, for a strategy. It is a silent war, made up of moves, of phone calls, of behind-the-scenes meetings. A plot that only lengthens the shadow of the challenge on the field, making the next chapter of a rivalry that, by now, has become one of the most heated in our soccer even more intriguing.
And who knows, maybe this intrigue will not end here. Because after all, in our soccer, nothing is ever really written.
This article Napoli-Conte, what an entanglement: it also got in the way … Inter appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
