The Italian Football Federation are reportedly set to make a stunning offer to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte to take charge as their manager for the second time after 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Rumours have claimed that Conte will leave Chelsea at the end of the season, with the former Juventus boss left frustrated at Stamford Bridge after the Blues failed to rope in all his transfer targets this summer.
And FootTheBall understands that a section within the FIGC want to re-sign Conte as the new boss of the Italian national team after Gian Pero disappointed during their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Italy succumbed to a 3-0 defeat in Spain managed to clinch a 1-1 draw at home against Macedonia. Pero’s men booked a place at the 2018 World Cup, finishing as runners-up in their group and the Azzurri chiefs are not happy with the team’s performance.
Conte had enjoyed a successful two-year stint as Italy boss, guiding them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, where they lost to Germany in a penalty shoot-out.
However, sources reveal that a section within the Federation is still not happy about how Conte had left the job, and believe that his switch to Chelsea was finalised well before the Euro 2016 finals, while others are determined to bring him back.
Conte put pen to paper on a new deal with Chelsea at the end of the last season after winning the Premier League in his debut campaign in England.
The new deal hiked his salary in the region of around £9.6million-a-year but he did not commit for the long-term.
Conte has said on numerous occasions that he will return to his homeland one day and last week he said: “I have nostalgia for Italy. Once I have had some more nice experiences I will return to Italy, for sure. I don’t know when, but the goal is to do that.”
Serie A side AC Milan are reportedly set to make him an offer at the end of the season, but the Chelsea hierarchy are desperate to keep the former Juventus boss, and are ready to break the bank in January to bolster his squad – with £60m Juventus wing-back Alex Sandro topping their shopping list.
