Former Juventus defender Mark Iuliano has confirmed that Antonio Conte met with Aurelio De Laurentiis, though uncertainty looms regarding Napoli’s potential recruitment of the Italian tactician for the 2024-25 season.
Conte, presently without a club, is anticipated to resume managerial duties next summer, with numerous clubs, including Milan and Napoli, reportedly expressing interest in his services.
The Partenopei engaged in discussions with the former Inter and Juventus coach in November before appointing Walter Mazzarri. Iuliano, who previously played alongside Conte at Juventus, verified the encounter between his “friend” and ADL during an interview with Radio Punto Nuovo on Friday.
“Antonio and I often exchange banter, but discussions about the future are infrequent,” stated the former Italian defender, as cited by Calciomercato.com. “He met with De Laurentiis over recent months. Perhaps there will be further discussions if he [Conte] has left the door ajar, but truthfully, I am not privy to further details.”
Juventus, Iuliano’s former club, is grappling with a challenging period, amassing a mere two points in the last four Serie A fixtures. Despite being contenders for the title just weeks ago, they now trail table-toppers Inter by nine points, with the latter also holding a game in hand.
“The draw against Empoli possibly impacted Juventus more than the defeat to Inter,” remarked Iuliano. “Inter deserved their victory in Milan and rightfully lead the table as they are indeed a formidable team. The performance against Verona was notably lackluster, and they were fortunate to salvage a draw with Rabiot’s equalizer.”
Juventus is slated to face Frosinone in their next Serie A encounter at the Allianz Stadium on February 25.