Antonio Conte is reportedly reconsidering his Italy status after a furious row with Juventus over Claudio Marchisio.
The Coach was already rumoured to be having second thoughts about his job with the Azzurri two months ago when his request for a team get-together was rejected by Juventus and Roma.
On Friday controversy erupted when Marchisio sustained what at first seemed to be a very serious knee ligament injury in training with the Azzurri.
Antonio Conte is reportedly reconsidering his Italy status after a furious row with Juventus over Claudio Marchisio.
The Coach was already rumoured to be having second thoughts about his job with the Azzurri two months ago when his request for a team get-together was rejected by Juventus and Roma.
On Friday controversy erupted when Marchisio sustained what at first seemed to be a very serious knee ligament injury in training with the Azzurri.
They take on Bulgaria tonight in a crunch Euro 2016 qualifier.
Juventus patron John Elkann complained Conte worked the players too hard and then doubled down on the insults.
“Conte used to be a Coach in Turin, but in the national team he's just a cherry-picker. Those are two different jobs. Perhaps he'd like to be remembered as the cherry-picker with the highest number of injuries.”
Conte was furious and in a Press conference said he was “bothered by those who try to use my past against me.
“I wonder why Elkann didn’t ask me that when I was at Juventus? We don’t work ‘hard,’ we work well.”
Now it’s reported that Conte walked out of a contracted interview with Rai Sport after he was asked whether the Marchisio injury was worse for Juve or Italy.
This controversy has naturally raised doubts as to whether Conte will continue on the Italy bench.
Lazio President – and FIGC counsellor – Claudio Lotito flew in to Sofia this morning to join Federation President Carlo Tavecchio in crisis talks with the Coach.