PSG, Roma and Chelsea Among Clubs Targeting Conte
Antonio Conte is reportedly on the radar of a number of Europe’s top clubs, with Roma, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea all reportedly interested in the Italy boss. Conte led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles before assuming the role of national team manager for the Azzurri.
This week, Conte further fueled speculations that he would take on the manager job at Roma following Euro 2016.
“I’ve had the pleasure of living in Rome more often this year as national team coach and I’ve got to say I’ve found it really good. I’m very serene because of this,” Conte told RAI television.
But Conte refused to be drawn on rumors that Roma had already contacted him about succeeding Rudi Garcia. “Roma have got to be very serene because they’ve got a great coach already,” he said.
Meanwhile, reports in Italy are linking the 46-year-old with Ligue 1 champions PSG and struggling Premier League champs Chelsea.
Conte safely secured Italy’s passage to the finals of Euro 2016 this week with a 3-1 win over Azerbaijan on Saturday, followed by a 2-1 triumph over Norway Tuesday. Despite this success, rumors behind the scenes suggest that Conte prefers the day-to-day interactions of managing a club side to managing at the international level.
Conte was in London earlier this year when Italy played a friendly with England. The coach paid a visit to Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground and was admittedly impressed by what he saw.
“Impressed is exactly the right word,” Conte told Gazzetta dello Sport. “It looks like a very good place to work, and for Tottenham to develop their players.”
“The reason for my visit is to study and to look at some of the clubs in England, especially in London.”
While Conte is a known admirer of the Premier League, he could also potentially be lured by the bright lights of Paris and PSG. The Ligue 1 side has almost unlimited resources and already boasts one of the best squads in Europe.
The coach has reportedly tasked his agents with sounding out opportunities abroad, even as AC Milan and Napoli, along with Roma, are reported to be favorites to secure the services of the former Juve boss.
Serie A play resumes this weekend following the international break, with Roma welcoming Empoli to Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
Watch Empoli vs. Roma at 5:55am ET Saturday on BeINSports.