Antonio Conte and Luciano Spalletti will meet for the first time in their careers when Napoli face Juventus at the Maradona Stadium on Sunday night, but how have the two coaches avoided each other so far?
Sunday’s Serie A headline story is a thrilling clash between Napoli and Juventus: if the Partenopei win tonight, they will return to the top of the table, while the Bianconeri need three points to catch up with the other teams competing in the early Champions League.
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Both sides have injury issues to contend with. Napoli are missing four key midfielders in Kevin De Bruyne, Stanislav Lobotka, Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour, while Juventus are missing Dusan Vlahovic and several first-team defenders including Federico Gatti, Bremer and Daniel Rugani.
Click here to see each team’s lineup for Sunday night.
Napoli vs. Juventus: How Conte and Spalletti managed to avoid each other
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 2: Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti watches before the Serie C match between Ternana Calcio and Juventus Next Gen at the Allianz Stadium on December 2, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Penicino/Getty Images)
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Oddly enough, this will be the first time Conte and Spalletti have faced each other as managers.
This is because Conte began his coaching career in Serie B between 2006 and 2009 with Arezzo and Bari, while Spalletti was in Serie A with Roma.
Spalletti spent five years as head coach of Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia between 2009 and 2014, which is why he never faced Conte while coaching Atalanta, Siena or Juventus.
Conte then took charge of the Italian national team from 2014 to 2016 and two years at Chelsea between 2016 and 2018, which is why he did not play against Spalletti during his second spell in charge of Roma in 2016-17.
Chelsea coach Antonio Conte (left) greets player Cesc Fabregas (right) at the end of the Premier League football match between Chelsea and Swansea at Stamford Bridge on February 25, 2017 in London, England. EPA/WILL OLIVER For editorial use only. No unauthorized use of audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services is permitted. Use in online competitions is limited to 75 images, no video simulations. Not for use in betting, gaming or single club/league/player publications
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Spalletti’s next job was as Inter Milan’s head coach from 2017 to 2019, and his replacement was Conte, who led the Nerazzurri from 2019 to 2021.
Conte took over as Tottenham Hotspur coach in 2021 until 2023, while Spalletti moved south to take charge of Napoli during the same period.
SSC Napoli head coach Luciano Spalletti reacts during the Serie A match between Udinese FC and SSC Napoli at the Dacia Stadium in Udine, Italy on May 4, 2023. (Photo by Alessandro Sabatini/Getty Images)
Spalletti was subsequently appointed as the head coach of the Italian national team in the summer of 2023 for a two-year term until 2025. This is the reason why he has not met with Conte at the club level in the past two seasons.
Now, in the 2025-26 season, Spalletti and Conte face off for the historic first time, launching a major conflict in the battle for the Serie A title and Champions League spots.
