Antonio Conte is clear to take the Chelsea job after it was confirmed he will step down as Italy boss following Euro 2016.
The 46-year-old ex-Juventus coach took control of the Azzurri in August 2014 and secured their qualification for the European Championship in France which starts in June. But Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio yesterday revealed Conte had informed him of his desire to return to club management after the summer finals.
Speaking ahead of an FIGC congress in Rome, Tavecchio told figc.it: “Antonio Conte has told me that at the end of the European Championship his experience with us will come to an end.
“Conte feels the lure of the training ground, the daily work of training, and that is understandable.
“Now is the time for us to take stock of the decision of a person who has worked with commitment and sacrifice in his mission to lead our national team’s recovery.
“I will always thank him for that.”
Conte, who is understood to have been taking English lessons in the last few months, has held talks with Chelsea. An announcement could be made this week with both parties free to complete a deal to charge Conte with restoring the 2014-15 Premier League champions’ fortunes following a dismal season.
If he takes the Chelsea job he will bring assistants Massimo Carrera, Angelo Alessio, Paolo Bertelli, Mauro Sandreani and his brother Gianluca to west London.
After retiring as a player in 2004 Conte took coaching roles with Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta and Siena.
His success in guiding the Tuscans to promotion from Serie B captured Juve’s attention and he replaced Luigi Delneri, who had only been able to secure a seventh-placed finish in the top flight.
Juve would go unbeaten throughout Conte’s first season in charge in 2011-12 and they retained the Scudetto despite losing their boss for four months as he served an FIGC ban for failing to report his knowledge of attempted match-fixing.
The Bianconeri, who by 2014 boasted Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo in a fearsome line-up, made it three titles in a row before Conte took up the reins of the national team.
Conte does still have a trial hanging over him as he’s due in court on April 4 on charges of failing to
report a match between Albinoleffe and Siena in May 2011, for which he had previously served a ban.