Former Chelsea and Juventus boss Antonio Conte has given an update on his future, stating that there is a 60 per cent chance that he could return to coaching in Serie A next season.
Conte, who was sacked from his position at Stamford Bridge last July, had been involved in a dispute with Chelsea over unpaid severance upon his exit from the London club.
With no bulk severance being offered, the Blues continued to pay Conte’s contracted wages, with the Italian seemingly all too happy to wait it out until his deal runs out this summer.
The 49-year-old had been linked with the previously vacant head coach role at Real Madrid, but accepting the job would have given Chelsea grounds to cancel their payments.
Free to take a new position in the summer, however, Conte has revealed that he could well return to working in his homeland in the new season.
“There is a 60% chance that I’ll stay in Italy,” he told Le Iene. “There is a 30% chance I will go abroad and a 10% chance that I will wait [for something else].
Links with AC Milan, Inter and Juventus have surfaced during the coach’s time away from the game, but he claims there has been no contact thus far with any of those sides.
“I can’t say ‘yes’ to any team because nothing is there,” he said. “I haven’t talked to any Serie A clubs personally yet. It’s still a bit early.”
Another of Italy’s heavyweights in Roma emerged as a possible destination for the decorated trainer, with Eusebio Di Francesco having been replaced mid-season by Claudio Ranieri.
Indeed, club legend Francesco Totti said recently that most sides would do ‘crazy things’ to have Conte take up residence in their respective dugouts.
“We see that in recent weeks there is a lot of talking about Conte,” the Giallorossi director said. “We have Claudio Ranieri on the bench and we have to show respect.
“Every club would do crazy things for [Conte]. At the end of the season we’ll decide if our coach will be Conte, Ranieri or somebody else.
“For now we are only thinking to qualify for the Champions League. It is not right to talk about coaches.
“I haven’t met Antonio Conte. A change of coach will not depend on the fourth place or not.”
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