Antonio Conte has not ruled out the possibility of returning to manage the Italian national team in the future.
Italy’s failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup followed their penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina last week, intensifying scrutiny on the national setup. The situation was further shaken on Friday when Gennaro Gattuso resigned from his role as head coach, leaving the position vacant.
Conte previously managed Italy between 2014 and 2016, guiding them to the quarter-finals of the European Championship before leaving to join Chelsea.
After winning Serie A in his debut season with Napoli last term, Conte has endured a more difficult campaign, repeatedly criticising the club’s lack of squad depth to compete across multiple competitions. Despite this, Napoli currently sit second in Serie A following their win over AC Milan.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is now reportedly considering Conte among potential candidates for the national team job.
Speaking on the speculation, Conte said, “It’s right that my name is included in the list [of candidates] for the national team,” noting he would also include himself among potential options if he were in charge of the federation.
He added that he is familiar with the national team setup, having previously spent two years in charge, stressing that leading Italy means representing the entire country.
Conte also acknowledged that discussions about his future will take place at the end of the season with the Napoli hierarchy, while reaffirming his affection for the national team and disappointment over Italy’s failure to qualify.
He further argued that repeated qualification failures highlight deeper structural issues, calling for stronger support for the national team from clubs and stakeholders.
Italy, who last qualified for the World Cup in 2014, have now missed the tournament for the third consecutive edition.
