Rome: Antonio Conte emerged as favourite to take over the vacant Italian national team manager’s job after he resigned as Juventus coach on Tuesday. Conte, 44, steered Juventus to a third consecutive title last season, the first time the club had achieved the feat since a five-season title run in the 1930s. His shock announcement came in a video posted on the club’s official website.
Dressed in a black-and-white striped Juventus shirt, Conte told the website he felt time had caught up with him at the club and that the time was right to go. “I have decided to terminate my contract with Juventus. I have matured with time and my feelings led me to make this
choice. It may be more difficult to keep winning with Juventus. An enormous thank you for what you have given to me as a player and as a coach. I have always been close to you. I want to say that the journey taken in recent years has been historic,” he said. The feeling was reciprocated by club chairman Andrea Agnelli.
