Azzurri CT Antonio Conte doubts that Andrea Pirlo will retire from international football and reiterated that he never thought about leaving his job.
It has been suggested that Juventus midfielder Pirlo could be considering leaving the international stage, but Conte said at today’s Press conference that he has heard nothing from the player.
"I don't think that Pirlo is thinking about leaving the national team,” said Conte.
“He hasn't told me anything. I know that he has desire and passion, like that of a child.
Azzurri CT Antonio Conte doubts that Andrea Pirlo will retire from international football and reiterated that he never thought about leaving his job.
It has been suggested that Juventus midfielder Pirlo could be considering leaving the international stage, but Conte said at today’s Press conference that he has heard nothing from the player.
"I don't think that Pirlo is thinking about leaving the national team,” said Conte.
“He hasn't told me anything. I know that he has desire and passion, like that of a child.
“He’s a charismatic and quality player and I will always keep him in consideration.
The former Juventus boss has been linked with several jobs this summer, including the Milan hotseat, but denied these rumours before discussing Friday’s clash with Croatia.
“There were rumours about me joining some clubs, but I've never thought about leaving the Azzurri,” he stated.
“Croatia are a very good team, but we're working to play a great match.
“We can start from a solid base, which is 3-5-2. In the last few days we’ve worked very hard on a couple of systems that may be useful in the future, beyond the formation that I will choose on Friday against Croatia.
“I want to put [Stephan] El Shaarawy in the position to show what he can do , like with all the other players.
“The 4-3-3 system is perfect for [Antonio] Candreva, but you must also take [Lorenzo] Insigne into account. We must be able to offer unpredictability.”