FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio hailed “commander Antonio Conte” and warned Italy were “a total disaster” two years ago.
New Coach Giampiero Ventura will be presented to the media formally on July 19 after Italy’s Euro 2016 exit to Germany.
“I thank the Italian people, who returned to wearing the Azzurri shirt in the streets and at a time when nations are crumbling, we are glad to have felt this sense of unity,” Tavecchio said in a Press conference.
FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio hailed “commander Antonio Conte” and warned Italy were “a total disaster” two years ago.
New Coach Giampiero Ventura will be presented to the media formally on July 19 after Italy’s Euro 2016 exit to Germany.
“I thank the Italian people, who returned to wearing the Azzurri shirt in the streets and at a time when nations are crumbling, we are glad to have felt this sense of unity,” Tavecchio said in a Press conference.
“When we arrived after the 2014 World Cup, the situation was a total disaster and there was no Federation. The Nazionale was totally lost, without a commanding figure or a structure.
“Today Italy have earned respect from the media in Italy and all over the world. I called Conte a commander and that was perfectly accurate.
“He viewed the game like a man who was in football for over 40 years. Germany struggled to get into our organisation, despite all our troops not being at their best against the World Champions. We missed the semi-finals by a whisker.
“This is where we start from going forward. We want to be Italy. We made some choices, we set the path and now need to continue along it.
“To do this the Federation President is only a small cog. We did not waste money or use public funds for silly things. I thank the director general for the organisation, the people of Montpellier and everyone who was with us over this summer.
“We are not here to say goodbye, because our work continues. We are not here to cry. We are a little sad, obviously, but we carry on from here.
“We go towards the World Cup qualifiers, which are not to be underestimated. The Nazionale has become an important brand again and that is good for the Italian people.
“We made a huge effort, competing with big clubs, to get Conte for this bench. We knew it would be tough and probably wouldn’t last very long, but we had to rebuild and it’s what we achieved.
“It didn’t take a genius to work out Conte was the best available man for the job, but it was a big effort to get him. The content we have brought to this Nazionale over the last two years was not done over the last 20. We built a structure, scouting networks and training centres.
“On a human level, it was a big loss. I was always close to him and in contact with his staff. They are all wonderful people.
“There’s no point talking to Conte in the two days before a game, as he’s like a ghostly figure walking the halls with thoughts in his mind and seeing nothing but the match.
“In future the Nazionale will have its own permanent staff and structure. We will build in-house.”
Now that the Azzurri are out in the quarter-finals, will everyone jump off the bandwagon?
“In this country perhaps we were able to lift a flag that had been forgotten and many will continue to climb on the bandwagon. We’re sure there will be many more comments and evaluations. I will still be here as long as I can help the national team and not for my own interests.”
Conte was furious that Serie A clubs refused to release their players for get-togethers outside the mandated FIFA windows, so will that change in future?
“The rules based on national and international players must be changed by UEFA and FIFA, because the world is changing. One of the advantages we are also preparing is for Italy to have much stronger political sway in the hierarchies of football.
“Clubs must understand that players cannot actually play without a FIGC label, so without that there is no Serie A, no Premier League, no TV rights. So we have the right to demand attention. I will do it before the season begins and throughout the campaign.”