Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has surprisingly stated he would allow Antonio Conte to take charge of the Italy national team if requested.
However, the Napoli owner paired that admission with a scathing critique of the current state of Italian football governance.
De Laurentiis willing to share head coach
De Laurentiis addressed the media during the screening of Napoli’s ‘AG4IN’ documentary in Los Angeles, where he was questioned about the possibility of Conte transitioning into a role with the Azzurri.
While Conte is the centerpiece of Napoli’s current sporting project, De Laurentiis suggested he would not be the one to block such a move.
‘I’ll lend him’
De Laurentiis has signaled that while he values Conte’s leadership in Naples, he acknowledges the unique pull of the national team. He said, as quoted by Gianluca DiMarzio: “Conte to the national team? Yes, I think I’d lend him if he asked me.”
The club’s president, however, expressed some major doubts about the current setup of the Italian football federation (FIGC): “Until there’s a serious partner, I think he’d refrain from imagining himself leading something completely disorganized.”
Support for Malago
The conversation regarding the national team comes at a time of transition for Italian football following the resignation of Gabriele Gravina. De Laurentiis has wasted no time in identifying the man he believes should lead the federation into a new era, throwing his significant weight behind former CONI president Giovanni Malago.
“He would be perfect to be first the commissioner and then the president of a new federation,” De Laurentiis explained.
What comes next?
Rumors of Conte taking over the Italian national team for a second time are likely to remain a topic of debate for some time to come.
However, what is clear is that he will continue his efforts to keep Napoli competing for the Serie A title until the end of the season.
The Partenopei currently sit second in Serie A, seven points behind leaders Inter Milan, and they next face Parma on Sunday.
