Napoli bench, Italiano leaves Bologna but Manna has other plans: De Laurentiis decides

The hours are feverish at home in Naples for the choice of the coach who will take the reins of the team after Antonio Conte’s farewell. The very long list of papabili has now officially been reduced to a tight duel, a two-way race involving Vincenzo Italiano and Massimiliano Allegri. Two profoundly different profiles, embodying two distinct footballing visions, but both ready to take up a heavy legacy on the Azzurri bench.

The first, crucial piece of the day’s action got stuck in Casteldebole. Bologna’s headquarters hosted the highly anticipated meeting between Vincenzo Italiano and the Rossoblù management. The coach, who was linked to the Emilian club by a contract valid until June 30, 2027, clearly and definitively expressed his desire to end his experience in Emilia.

At the end of the summit, the parties reached an agreement for the consensual termination of the contract. Italiano is therefore officially free of all ties. This is a strategic move that paves the way for his eventual signing with the Neapolitan club, where he has long enjoyed the highest esteem of President Aurelio De Laurentiis, who considers him a real “ball” for the technical reconstruction of the team. Italiano has given his total openness to the Azzurri project and is only waiting for the definitive signal.

If Italiano represents the hottest track from the point of view of presidential approval, the candidacy of Massimiliano Allegri remains very strong and not at all defiladed. Reduced from his exoneration with AC Milan, the coach from Livorno is the name strongly advocated by Napoli Sporting Director Giovanni Manna. The two know each other very well and have already shared a fruitful working experience at the time of Juventus. Contacts with Allegri’s entourage have continued unceasingly even in the last few hours. Napoli is keeping the track totally open: dense dialogues on Wednesday laid the groundwork for what was most likely a direct face-to-face meeting between Allegri and De Laurentiis.

The casting has reached the final chapter. With Italiano now free of his contract with Bologna and Allegri ready to get right back into the game, the final word rests solely with the Azzurri patron. De Laurentiis wants to delve into every minute tactical, economic and character aspect, preferring to look the candidates in the eye before making the official announcement. The decision is expected very soon: Napoli is ready to turn over a new leaf and find out who its new leader will be.