Antonio Conte wants 'different experiences in different countries' after he leaves Chelsea

The Italian however claims he hasn't been approached by Inter Milan

Miguel Delaney
Saturday 04 March 2017 23:52 GMT
Comments
Antonio Conte has no interest in speaking to Inter Milan because his future lies at Chelsea
Antonio Conte has no interest in speaking to Inter Milan because his future lies at Chelsea (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Antonio Conte has said he would like to “find different experiences in different countries” were he to ever leave Chelsea, undercutting speculation he will return to Italy with Internazionale in the summer.

The 47-year-old on Friday denied reports he had been “personally” made an offer by the Serie A club, although their interest in the former Juventus manager is real. Conte however openly admitted that he has a “will” to try and succeed in different leagues.

Those close to him feel he would only return to Italy if he suffered a bad season and his reputation suddenly dropped, but his ambitions are currently much higher. While Conte re-iterated his desire to stay at Chelsea, he did admit a curiosity about other countries, which was also reminiscent of his predecessor Jose Mourinho’s ambition to win the league in the major football countries. Conte’s stint at Stamford Bridge marks the first time he has worked outside his home country.

“In my mind, there is the will to find different experiences in different countries,” he said.

“I think it's fantastic to find these experiences. When I was a footballer, I played only for two teams: Lecce and Juventus. But, honestly, in my career I wanted to go and play in different countries. Now I am having this great experience in England, in an amazing league. For me, this is great. And I hope to live this experience with my family next season.”

When asked about his long-term plans, and a question was phrased about leaving Chelsea after “10 or 15 years”, Conte joked: “I thank you for your optimism.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in