Cesc Fabregas is impressed by “winner” Antonio Conte, but hopes “from Tuesday he can concentrate” on Chelsea after Italy-Spain.
The Round of 16 clash kicks off on Monday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).
Conte has already signed a two-year contract to take over at Chelsea from next season and one of his players at Stamford Bridge will be Spain midfielder Fabregas.
“I met Conte briefly and he made a very good impression,” Fabregas told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Cesc Fabregas is impressed by “winner” Antonio Conte, but hopes “from Tuesday he can concentrate” on Chelsea after Italy-Spain.
The Round of 16 clash kicks off on Monday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).
Conte has already signed a two-year contract to take over at Chelsea from next season and one of his players at Stamford Bridge will be Spain midfielder Fabregas.
“I met Conte briefly and he made a very good impression,” Fabregas told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He is a great Coach, a winner. He told me what he wants from me, what he wants to do at Chelsea and various other things that will remain private.
“I really want to start working with him. Now I hope he can get to work at Chelsea as soon as possible. Hopefully from Tuesday he can concentrate on his new job…”
Once the Italy campaign at Euro 2016 is over, Conte will start pre-season preparations with Chelsea, so Fabregas has more than one reason to hope that happens straight away.
“I sort of knew about Conte before our meeting. I liked his Juve and obviously had followed the victories, but it wasn’t a team I watched every single week. Now I’ve studied them more carefully and I liked what I saw. He did a great job with the national team too, so I am very confident.
“I see he has created a great team unit with Italy. It might be missing your classic individual talents like Alessandro Del Piero or Francesco Totti, plus lost Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti to injury, but it is a very compact group.
“That has always been one of your strengths and today it is true more than ever. From the outside it seems as if Conte chose a definitive group to go all the way and they are all following him.”
Fabregas is at Chelsea and confessed to being stunned at the Brexit vote to leave the EU.
“It’s a very disappointing decision and I think very negative for many people. Personally I see it as a mistake. I didn’t expect it, as I went to bed optimistic and woke up to this news…
“I think it’s damaging for the Premier League. It’ll be harder to sign players, the salaries will change if the pound gets close to the euro. It’s a decision that will create many complications not just in football, but the daily lives and future of all people.”