CONTE LINED UP FOR ITALIAN JOB SEQUEL
THE Italian Football Federation are ready to make a remarkable offer to Antonio Conte to take over as their national coach for a second time after next summer’s World Cup. Rumours about Conte leaving Chelsea at the end of this season have swirled around Stamford Bridge for some time, with the 48-year-old apparently unhappy at the failure of the club to land all his transfer targets in the summer.
Now Express Sport understands influential figures within the Italian equivalent of the FA want Conte back in charge of Italy after Gian Piero Ventura JAMES McCLEAN sent the Republic of Ireland into the World Cup play-offs last night after his winning goal ended Welsh dreams. McClean’s 57th-minute strike was enough to see them leapfrog Wales into second place in Group D. And with a better points total than Slovakia – who have played all their games – the Republic are now guaranteed a place in the play-offs. Wales, who were without Gareth Bale through injury and saw Joe Allen forced off after a collision with David Meyler in the first half, have now failed to score in six of their past seven games against the Republic. And Meyler’s late booking for a foul on goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey means he will miss the first leg of the play-offs. Republic midfielder Jeff Hendrick said: “We may not pass the ball as much as other teams but we have the spirit. We have huge games now in the play-offs and we have to show that spirit again.” failed to impress during their World Cup qualifying campaign. They lost 3-0 in Spain and on Friday could only draw 1-1 at home to Macedonia.
They have made it to the play-offs as runners-up but it has not been a happy camp, and last night veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was forced to deny rumours of a dressing-room plot against the coach. Conte had a successful two-year stint in charge of the Azzurri, taking Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, where they lost to Germany in a penalty shoot-out.
While some within the Federation are unhappy about the way Conte left, with his switch to Chelsea agreed well before the Euro 2016 finals, others want the