Conte intrigued by Azzurri's bench, Napoli don't mind his imminent exit

Antonio Conte and the Italy national team - Chapter 2 in the making!

A decade after leaving the Azzurri bench, the passionate tactician is reportedly intrigued by the idea of his return.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, not only is Conte keen on taking over Italy, but Napoli wouldn't mind him leaving the club at the end of the season.

The relationship between the strategist and the Neapolitans’ president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has been strained for some time, and many expected the manager to leave much sooner. Nevertheless, after winning the Scudetto last year, Conte's position was untouchable, and the club official was forced to keep him.

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However, this season is a whole other story. The early Champions League exit and Napoli's loss of all hope of winning the Serie A title have undermined the coach’s status in the eyes of supporters, who would be quite indifferent to his eventual departure.

In fact, it could be a win-win situation for the club, De Laurentiis, Conte, and the Italy national team.

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During his first stint with the Azzurri, the 56-year-old didn't win any trophies, but he easily led the squad through the qualifiers, something this generation has been struggling with. Furthermore, under his command, Italy showed identity, passion, and great determination, unlike today. All these things make him a perfect candidate for the general public.

Either way, before turning to the national team, Conte will have to finish the season with Napoli, and the next challenge for them is AC Milan (21.45) - a derby duel that could decide the title race and almost certainly promote Inter Milan - who crushed Roma last night - into the new champions in case of the Rossoneri's failure.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 31

Saturday

Sassuolo - Cagliari 2-1 (0-1)

/Garcia 50, Pinamonti 78 - Esposito 30 pen/

Verona - Fiorentina 0-1 (0-0)

/Fagioli 82/

Lazio - Parma 1-1 (0-1)

/Noslin 77 - Delprato 15/

Sunday

Cremonese - Bologna 1-2 (0-2)

/Bonazzoli 90+1 pen - Joao Mario 3, Rowe 16/

Pisa - Torino 0-1 (0-0)

/Adams 80/

Inter Milan - Roma 5-2 (2-1)

/Lautaro 1, 52, Calhanoglu 45+2, Thuram 55, Barella 63 - Mancini 41, Pellegrini 70/

Monday

Udinese - Como 0-0

16.00: (5.00) Lecce (3.70) Atalanta (1.80)

19.00: (1.40) Juventus (4.50) Genoa (8.50)

21.45: (2.60) Napoli (3.10) Milan (3.05)

***odds are subject to change***