Antonio Conte (foto: Getty Images)
A leading agent has publicly accused Napoli coach Antonio Conte of blocking young players’ exits and refusing to use them, as unrest grows following another damaging Champions League result.
Antonio Conte has been hit by explosive accusations in Italy, with a prominent agent claiming the Napoli coach is “holding players hostage” and refusing to give young talents a real chance despite the club’s growing injury crisis.
The comments were made by Mario Giuffredi, the agent representing Luca Marianucci, Giuseppe Ambrosino and Antonio Vergara, as well as Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and first-team regular Matteo Politano.
Speaking to Calcio Napoli 24, Giuffredi launched a direct attack on Conte after Napoli’s 1-1 draw away at Copenhagen, a result that has left the Italian champions on the brink of Champions League elimination and stuck in 23rd place in the league-phase table.
Napoli’s season has been heavily affected by injuries, with Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Alex Meret and Billy Gilmour all missing significant time. Despite that, Conte has largely refused to turn to younger options.
So far, only Vergara has received consistent opportunities, starting the last two matches, including in Copenhagen. Marianucci has played only twice this season, while Ambrosino has appeared in five games.
Giuffredi did not hold back.
"I will not let myself be mocked by him. If Conte lacks the courage to use young players, that is not my problem. Allegri plays Bartesaghi at Milan, Atalanta uses Arena, and Inter uses Pio Esposito. Conte has to decide if Marianucci and Ambrosino are Napoli players. If they are, he must have the courage to actually use them,” he said.
The agent then escalated the situation with a much stronger accusation.
"Otherwise, just say they don’t belong at Napoli and let them go. We already had agreements with Cremonese and Venezia, but for a month, he has refused to let them leave. He cannot keep them here and then not even give them a minute. He is keeping them hostage."
Giuffredi also revealed that Vergara had several Serie A offers before breaking into the first team.
"The only reason he is playing now is that others are injured. The only way to know if a player is ready is to let him play. I’ve never seen anyone build a career sitting on the bench," he added.
Vergara, a Napoli academy product since the age of 11, previously had loan spells at Pro Vercelli and Reggiana before making his first-team debut this season. Ambrosino, also a youth product, spent time on loan at Como, Cittadella, Catanzaro and Frosinone before returning to Naples. Marianucci joined from Empoli last summer after making 18 Serie A appearances last season.
What makes the situation particularly sensitive is that Giuffredi represents several key Napoli players, including the club captain. His statements may therefore reflect growing internal frustration, not just the concerns of fringe squad members.
With Napoli struggling in Europe and already six points behind Inter in Serie A, pressure is mounting on Conte — and this public dispute over squad management could soon become another serious problem for the coach to deal with.