Antonio Conte has been in charge of Italy for almost a year – it’s been some adaptation for a man who was used to the day-to-day life of club management, which is impossible to have when taking charge of a national team. After winning three straight Serie A titles with Juventus, Conte started a new adventure as selector of the national team. The metamorphosis began on 4th September, when the Azzurri hosted the Netherlands in a victorious friendly match held in Bari.

 
Almost one year later, Conte’s record is 5 wins, 4 draws and yesterday’s defeat to Portugal. “We’ve worked well together”, commented Conte, “and from my personal point of view, I can assure that we worked hard and with passion. Still, there is a lot of work to be done. We’re only at the first page of a book that will hopefully end with qualification to the 2016 European Championship. And I want to get there with a very ambitious team.”

Now it’s time to go on holiday, before starting work and preparation for the next two EURO qualifiers against Malta and Bulgaria, which are due to take place in September. “It has been for sure a very intense year for me. I’ve always been a club manager, to work as a head coach of a national team is extremely different. To work daily with your players is a completely different matter than working with them only when the national team plays. However, it has been a great experience so far, but, as I said, there is still a lot of work to do.

Our aim is to qualify for the EUROs; in addition, we will try to let our young players gain experience. I selected Bertolacci and Soriano against Portugal; both players are starting their international careers. Other players such as De Sciglio, El Shaarawy and Immobile had a tough season and didn’t play too often; we also welcomed into our squad new players like Gabbiadini, Sansone, Bonaventura and many others. We always have to have it in mind that our team can never lack passion, they must work hard, have the will to sacrifice and to overcome difficulty.”