Antonio Conte: The Prospect of a Return to the Bench Changes Dramatically
Antonio Conte’s name has resurfaced in recent days in discussions about his return to the bench, with the situation seeming to change from day to day. One of the options on the table—Manchester United—appears to be fading: with Michael Carrick increasingly likely to be fired, the Salento-born coach remains among the candidates tipped to take over, even though information from those close to him suggests his willingness to take the job is far from a foregone conclusion.
Things are very tense at Old Trafford right now. After the crushing 3-0 loss to Bournemouth and the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, the front office had given Carrick another chance—partly because of the difficulty in finding an immediate replacement—but the subsequent matches did nothing to change the situation: not even the Champions League victory over Roma—as dramatic as the 4-4 league draw with Aston Villa—was enough to bring back smiles to the Red Devils’ locker room.
According to rumors reported by *The Sun*, club executives have now made a decision: Carrick’s dismissal is imminent, with the goal of formalizing the change well before November 22, the date of the league’s resumption against Liverpool. Sporting director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada are reportedly pushing for this move, with the final go-ahead resting with Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s owner who has been criticized by United fans.
In this scenario, Mauricio Pochettino is the favorite. The Argentine coach, who currently manages the U.S. national team, is reportedly open to considering a return to the Premier League (he has previously coached Southampton, Tottenham, and Chelsea), and a clause in his contract with U.S. Soccer would allow him to leave quickly. Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann remain in the running, cited as viable alternatives.
The possibility of Antonio Conte, on the other hand, has cooled off in recent days. The former coach of Juventus, Inter, and Napoli, among others, is reportedly wary of the Red Devils option, partly because the club’s current environment is considered too chaotic to launch a new project—especially in the middle of the season. This is a major obstacle, which puts the rumors of his possible move to Manchester into perspective, even though his name continues to appear among the candidates.
This isn’t the first time Conte has been linked to a shaky coaching position. The Salento-born coach had also been linked to Juventus during Luciano Spalletti’s toughest days, but in that case as well, negotiations never materialized. Now, with Manchester United grappling with a sporting and institutional crisis, Conte’s caution could prove decisive for a new bid by a struggling Italian powerhouse.
The question therefore remains: Will Conte agree to take over a team in the midst of a storm, or will he prefer to wait for a more solid project? For now, the scales seem to be tipping toward “no,” leaving the field open to Pochettino and the other names that Manchester United’s management is evaluating.
