Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has addressed swirling speculation linking manager Antonio Conte with the vacant Italy national team job, delivering a firm and colorful vote of confidence in his coach's commitment to the club. Despite acknowledging Conte as a prime candidate to succeed Gennaro Gattuso, De Laurentiis expressed strong doubt that the architect of last season's Scudetto triumph would walk away from his project in Naples.

"It's his creation," De Laurentiis told The Athletic, employing a striking metaphor. "So he will kill his baby." The president's comments underscore the deep personal investment Conte has in the squad he built to secure Napoli's first league title in decades, suggesting a departure would feel like an abandonment of his own work.

The managerial situation for the Azzurri remains in flux following a turbulent period for Italian football. With FIGC President Gabriele Gravina also resigning after Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and his successor not being elected until late June, a final decision on the national team's next coach is not expected before the end of the 2025-26 season. This timeline provides a significant buffer for Napoli and Conte.

De Laurentiis confirmed he would not obstruct Conte if the former Italy boss, who led the national team from 2014 to 2016, felt compelled to return to the international stage. However, he emphasized the practical need for clarity and conveyed a belief in Conte's professional integrity. The president explained that while earlier clarity on Conte's future would aid Napoli's planning, he does not anticipate being left in a lurch at the eleventh hour.

"Number one, we don't have, as of now, a head of the federation, so nobody can decide to ask him," De Laurentiis noted, highlighting the procedural hurdles still in place. For now, the message from Naples is clear: the club is planning for a future with Antonio Conte at the helm, trusting that the passionate coach will see through the project he started.