Antonio Conte took over the
Azzurri helm Tuesday in place of Cesare Prandeli who quit after
Italy's disappointing World Cup.
The former Juve manager said he wanted to "take Italy back
where it belongs, to the top of the world".
He said he was proud to have the "job everyone wants".
"It is a point of pride that new Italian Soccer Federation
(FIGC) President Carlo Tavecchio thought of me", the former
Italy and Juve midfielder said at his presentation as coach.
Conte said he had not been expecting to land the Italy job,
waiting for a top European club after his Juve exit, but could
not say no to a "top top club".
He said he was "thrilled" by the new challenge.
Conte played down the role of sponsors Puma in his record
salary of more than four million euros a year - the highest
outside club football - and promised to talk to controversial
striker Mario Balotelli and veteran star Andra Pirlo, who
recently said he might reconsider his retirement from the
international game.
Conte was unimpressed by suggestions his sponsor might
affect his decisions.
"Those who know Antonio Conte know that nothing and no one
will ever be able to decide in my place," he said during his
presentation as Italy boss.
Conte said his 4-million-euro a year salary - second only
to Pepe Guardiola's at Bayern Munich - was "within FIGC
parameters".
The new coach said he would be talking to Balotelli, among
others, but deflected speculation about storm clouds over the
future in the national team of the hit-and-miss temperamental
striker.
"I can't talk about individuals," Conte told a press
conference.
Balotelli was lauded after scoring a World Cup winner
against England but then singled out as the worst performer in
Italy's losses to Costa Rica and Uruguay that knocked them out
of the World Cup.
But like his predecessor Prandelli, Conte said he would be
assessing Balotelli's off-field behaviour as a factor in judging
his worthiness of selection.
"Between a good player who is an excellent guy and an
excellent player who is a good sort I always choose the former,"
he said.
As for Pirlo, Conte said he would "as soon as possible"
talk to the Azzurri icon Andrea Pirlo about his recent rethink
on quitting international football.
"Of course I'll be talking to him, everyone who wants to
run and win is in the frame," the former Juventus boss said of
the veteran Juve midfield general.
"I'll start with the Juve bloc", with which he won three
straight scudettos including the last one," Conte said.
Tavecchio, who had hailed Conte's appointment as "a
positive shock," said Conte was a "war leader" who will raise
Italy's fortunes.
"He is a leader of men, able to raise goose pimples when
the national flag is raised," said Tavecchio, who took over
after Giancarlo Abete resigned along with Prandelli.
On the vexed question of the new coach's salary, the new
FIGC chief stressed Conte's record pay for a national coach will
be borne largely by sponsors.
"Puma will be be a privileged partner," Tavecchio said.
The deal has been criticised by some commentators who said
he should have agreed to lower pay for the privilege of being
Italy boss.
Conte in effect signed a double contract guaranteeing him
as much as 4.5 million euros a year if Italy qualifies for the
European Championship finals, the Italian soccer federation
said.
Under the first contract Conte's basic stipend will be 2
million euro net a year, with an extra half million for two
years if Italy qualifies for the finals in France in 2016.
Under a second contract the FIGC will pay Conte 2 million
euros guaranteed by the sponsor Puma sportswear in return for
sales of TV images of himself.
The deal follows a parallel agreement under which Puma's
contract as sponsor of the Italian national team is extended
from 2018 to 2022, the FIGC said.
Conte officially signed after finalising the deal over a
hotel dinner Monday night with Tavecchio.
Conte's appointment has been met with general acclaim.
The head of the Italian Footballers' Union, former Roma and
Italy midfielder Damiano Tommasi, joined the chorus Monday by
saying Conte's "results speak for themselves".
Conte, 45, agreed last week to take over from Prandelli who
quit after Italy crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage
with losses to Costa Rica and Uruguay.
Conte, a former Italy and Juve midfielder, faces an initial
friendly against Netherlands on September 4 in Bari before
starting the Azzurri's European qualifying campaign against
Norway in Oslo five days later.
La Repubblica daily reported Monday he would bring several
ex-Juve people into the Italy fold including possibly Paolo
Rossi, hero of Italy's 1982 World Cup win.
Conte accepted the job after Tavecchio put out feelers to
him and several other coaches too "and three or four others".
Other possible candidates were former AC Milan, Inter,
Lazio and Juventus boss Alberto Zaccheroni, who stepped down as
Japan coach after the World Cup, former Udinese boss Francesco
Guidolin and ex-Inter and Man City coach Roberto Mancini.
Newly appointed Juve tactician and former AC Milan manager
Massimiliano Allegri was also briefly in the frame.
Juventus and their fans were in shock July 16 after Conte
announced he was leaving the Turin giants.
Conte had led Juve to three consecutive league titles after
taking over his former side in 2011, imbuing the team with the
winning grit and dynamism he showed in his all-action career for
club and country.
But he expressed doubts that he could take the squad any
further after they set a new points record of 102 to win last
season's Serie A title.
He reportedly decided to step down a year before the end of
his contract because of differences over transfer policy.
Conte was said to have been pushing for some big signings
to have made his team competitive in Europe - the one area where
Juve's results had not been good under him - but the club
managers were allegedly not willing to overstretch their
finances.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
