The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have confirmed Antonio Conte as the new head coach of the Italian national team.
The former Juventus coach has agreed a two-year deal and will be presented on Tuesday at 11:30 local time.
Conte, who quit the ‘Bianconeri’ last month, succeeds Cesare Prandelli, who resigned after failing to guide the Azzurri to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.
An FIGC statement read: “President (Carlo) Tavecchio and Antonio Conte spoke directly by phone this morning to define the final aspects of the collaboration that will bind Antonio Conte to the FIGC until 31 July 2016.
“The new coach shared in the president Tavecchio’s vision to revitalise the national team and the project of training of new Azzurri players, and has a strong commitment towards the technical sector as coordinator of the youth teams.”
Reports in Italy early Thursday had claimed that newly elected FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio was prepared to offer Conte a two-year deal worth €1.6m net each year.
The FIGC is understood to have asked national team kit sponsors Puma to help bridge the sizeable gap between the tabled offer and Conte’s previous earning at the Serie A champions reported to be €3.5m per year.
Also, the terms of the 45-year-old’s new contract have- “in line with the cost of the previous management”- made provision for add-ons, if he qualifies the four-time world champions for the 2016 European championship, an improvement of at least five places on the Fifa Rankings and in case he guides Italy to the final of Euro 2016.
The ex-Lecce and Juventus midfielder, guided the ‘Old Lady’ to clinching three straight Italian Scudeto in his three-year spell, as well as finishing the 2011/12 Italian football season unbeaten- the first team to attain such feat since the Serie A expanded to 20 team and 38 rounds format.
He served a four-month FIGC suspension from football between August and December 2012 for failing to report his knowledge of attempted match-fixing during his time as the manager of Siena.
