When Antonio Conte was appointed as the new boss of the Italian national team last year, many wondered if it was the right choice for himself, and for the Azzurri.
Conte’s credentials were never in doubt after three successive Scudetti with his beloved Juventus, and he looked as though he had all the required characteristics to galvanise a national team that looked shorn of confidence following their dismal 2014 World Cup showing under Cesare Prandelli.
But there was always this nagging sensation that Conte was just wasting some of his best coaching years managing a national team at this stage in his career.
Still relatively young at only 45, a national team gig is a job that is regarded as one most would take near the end of their career, when the day-to-day exertions of managing a club become too heavy. Especially for someone as passionate and relentless as Conte, many assumed that he would miss the day-to-day contact with his players.
These fears were confirmed by the man himself in an interview with Chi last week. Conte admitted that he had become “disappointed” with his role as Azzurri boss, stressing that he misses the ongoing interaction with his team that he had at club level.
Conte was a player that played with all his heart, and it is no surprise that he has taken that approach into his coaching career. He admitted that he is unsure whether it was the right choice to take over the Azzurri, and he made his decision with his heart, rather than his head.
So now would be the appropriate time to ask: was this an error in casting from the FIGC, or should they do everything they can to keep Conte?
There is no doubting his commitment to the Azzurri cause, despite the uncertainty and indecision over his future at the helm. Anyone that knows Conte recognizes that he is too proud of a man to not carry out a job at the best of his ability.
He spoke of restoring the national team’s pride upon appointment, and he has certainly backed up his words with his results so far.
An unbeaten start — five wins and a draw — has laid further credence to the notion that he is the right man for the job; and he has shown he is not afraid to introduce new blood, with the likes of Stefano Okaka, Simone Zaza, Roberto Soriano and Graziano Pelle all being given their first opportunity in an Azzurri shirt.
Upon this evidence, the Italian federation should do all they can to keep Conte on board for as long as possible.
On the other hand, it seems likely that Conte will not be the Azzurri boss for the long-haul. When poised on his future, the passionate coach coyly bemoaned some of the short-comings attached to being Italy coach.
“I like working, and I’ve realised as a national team coach it’s more difficult to do that continuously,” Conte said in an interview with Chi.
Conte has already hinted that English giants Manchester United came in for his services shortly before he was announced as Azzurri coach, and it will be difficult to see him resist if another big club comes in for him given his obvious preference for a club role.
Would the Azzurri be better off admitting that they made a mistake hiring Conte, and appoint someone for the long-term?
The puzzling aspect is that there were other highly-regarded Italian coaches available for the job as well, and who didn’t carry the recognizable worry that Conte brought.
Roberto Mancini and Luciano Spalletti were the other contenders that would’ve brought their own philosophy and ideas to the national team.
Would they have replicated Conte’s brilliant start so far? Maybe, maybe not. It is impossible to know for sure, but they would have stamped their own mark on the team, and have a proven track record with some big clubs across Europe.
For now, it looks like Conte will stay on as Azzurri coach, despite his ‘disappointment’ at the whole experience so far. The next few matches — a EURO 2016 qualifier against Bulgaria and a friendly against England — should give the public and the FIGC an indication of what next move to make.
