Antonio Conte reiterated he will only call Italy players who “are hungry and have that fire inside them.”

The Coach had a great start to his Azzurri career, winning a friendly against the Netherlands 2-0 and last night’s Euro 2016 qualifier 2-0 in Norway.

Antonio Conte reiterated he will only call Italy players who “are hungry and have that fire inside them.”

The Coach had a great start to his Azzurri career, winning a friendly against the Netherlands 2-0 and last night’s Euro 2016 qualifier 2-0 in Norway.

“Even though we need to improve, we have made some important steps forward in a short space of time,” Conte told news agency ANSA.

Simone Zaza of Sassuolo was the emblem of the two games, stepping in for Mario Balotelli and scoring in Oslo.

“Zaza is someone who is hungry, but he’s not the only one. He’s young and I expect that. Him, Immobile and Darmian can look to the veterans and their football hunger too.

“Whether they come from the South or from Udine, my players need to have that fire inside them.”

The squad is impressed by Conte’s impact and he insists the feeling is mutual.

“This group won me over. Now I will go round the country seeking other players. I rule nobody out, though anyone who comes here must work like these lads.

“I am the first to be hungry. I think of Chiellini, who wanted to stay with the group even after his injury, of players like Bonucci, De Rossi and Buffon. With examples like this, I hope that this hunger remains throughout the group.

“I was very curious to experience this new reality. It’s one thing to have players for a month, quite another to be with them for only eight or nine days.

“They were very good days and they really applied themselves psychologically. We set out the basic course and got the engine started: now our first objective is to qualify for the Euros.”

Conte will resume his tour of every Serie A club in the country, visiting each training ground to talk with players and staff.

He had to put off his Juventus trip due to a clash of scheduling.

“I’m at home in Turin, so I’ll be there soon,” smiled the ex-Juve Coach.

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