1-0. That scoreline was enough for Napoli to finish second in Serie A after Rasmus Hojlund struck in the 24th minute at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on May 24, 2026. The narrow victory was Antonio Conte's last match in charge and secures Napoli a place in next season's Champions League. Conte used his post-match media conference to confirm he will leave the club this summer after two seasons that yielded a 2024 Serie A title and a Supercoppa Italiana.

Napoli wrapped up their domestic campaign with a workmanlike 1-0 win over Udinese, a result that leaves them runners-up in the final Serie A table. The decisive moment came in the 24th minute when Kevin De Bruyne delivered a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Rasmus Hojlund. Hojlund timed his run, took the ball in stride and slid home to put the hosts ahead.

The match began with an early scare for Napoli when Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye denied a chance inside the first 70 seconds, keeping the score level at the outset. Napoli then found the breakthrough through the De Bruyne to Hojlund connection. Alex Meret was called into action later in the first half with a strong save from Jesper Karlstrom, but the single goal proved enough to decide the contest.

Tensions flared after the interval. Hojlund was bundled over in the box during a Napoli attack and the hosts appealed for a penalty, but the referee rejected the appeals. In the 64th minute Christian Kabasele was initially shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Hojlund. VAR intervened after the tussle continued and Kabasele kicked out at his opponent.

The original booking was upgraded to a red card, reducing Udinese to 10 men for the closing stages.

Mastheads

Udinese pushed for an equaliser. They forced late set-pieces and carved out chances, but Napoli defended with shape and discipline to hold out, despite a number of personnel concerns through the evening.

The game raised fresh fitness questions for Napoli when Stanislav Lobotka limped off with a suspected calf strain. The club went into the match with a partial absences list that included Alessandro Buongiorno, Leonardo Spinazzola and Romelu Lukaku. Matteo Politano returned to the lineup after serving a suspension.

Udinese were also shorn of options. Hassane Kamara served a suspension and the visitors were missing Nicolò Zaniolo, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, Juan Arizala and Alessandro Zanoli through injury or other reasons. The depleted squads and late-match incidents helped keep the final minutes tense, but Napoli's single goal and a red card for Kabasele were the margin.

The win confirms Napoli's place in next season's Champions League, an important revenue and sporting prize. The club's European campaign this season, however, was disappointing as they failed to progress past the Champions League group stage.

Conte's departure announcement after the final whistle added a managerial subplot to the evening. In his press conference the coach described his time at Napoli in personal terms and made clear the decision to go had been his. Conte arrived at Napoli and delivered a Serie A title in 2024 and a Supercoppa Italiana, achievements that will form the backbone of his legacy at the club. Still, the 2025-26 season ends with Napoli second in the table and in search of a new head coach to lead them back into Europe.

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Conte’s formal departure is scheduled for the summer, and Napoli must appoint a new head coach before their Champions League return next season. Originally reported by football-italia.net.

This article was created with AI assistance.