Al-Ittihad reportedly willing to offer Conte €20m salary to become head coach
Quick summary
Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are reportedly prepared to offer Antonio Conte a €20m annual salary to take over as head coach, as they search for a new manager.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceThe latest updates claim that Al-Ittihad are prepared to offer a salary worth €20m per season to convince Antonio Conte to become head coach, but the recently-departed Napoli boss remains among the frontrunners to return to his former role with the Italy national team.
Conte offered €20m per season to take over at Al-Ittihad According to reports on Monday, Al-Ittihad are prepared to offer Conte a hefty salary in order to take over from short-lived Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao in Saudi Arabia. Tuesday’s updates from the Corriere dello Sport add that this proposal is worth €20m per season in wages.
The 56-year-old is currently available having terminated his contract with Napoli by mutual consent at the beginning of June. He had spent two seasons in Naples, winning the Serie A title in his first season and the Supercoppa Italiana in his second.
Conte, however, is one of the two leading candidates to take over in the role of Italy national team head coach following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso shortly after the World Cup play-off final heartbreak against Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this year.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – MARCH 05: Giovanni Malago, President of the Organising Committee for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, speaks during the Paralympic Games Opening Press Conference ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at on March 05, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) Conte and Roberto Mancini, another former CT, are the two frontrunners for the role. Newly-elected FIGC President is expected to make a decision on a new national team technical director first, before making a decision on the next head coach.
The Corriere dello Sport suggests that the Italy job is still Conte’s ‘priority’.
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What happened
Al-Ittihad, one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent clubs, are looking for a new head coach and have set their sights on Antonio Conte. The Italian tactician has been without a club since departing Napoli and is reportedly Al-Ittihad's top target. The reported €20m salary offer would place Conte among the highest-paid coaches in world football. This follows the Saudi Pro League's trend of attracting top European managerial talent with lucrative financial packages.
Chance analysis
Conte remains one of the most sought-after coaches in European football, having won league titles in Italy (Juventus) and England (Chelsea). His potential move to the Saudi Pro League would reinforce the league's strategy of luring elite-level coaches, following moves by Nuno Espírito Santo and others. For Al-Ittihad, who have been underperforming relative to expectations, hiring Conte would represent a major statement of intent, though the Saudi league's demanding schedule and expectations create both opportunity and risk.
Al-Ittihad would gain a world-class tactician if Conte accepts, while the move further cements the Saudi Pro League's pull on top European coaching talent.
If Conte joins Al-Ittihad, factor in a significant tactical upgrade for the Saudi club and adjust expectations for their domestic and continental performance accordingly.