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Antonio Conte dismisses Chelsea speculation

Antonio Conte dismissed talk of a move to Chelsea
Antonio Conte dismissed talk of a move to Chelsea

Italy head coach Antonio Conte has rejected all talk of taking over at Chelsea in the summer as he prepares for friendlies against Spain and Germany.

Conte, whose side meet Ireland at Euro 2016, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge to take over when interim manager Guus Hiddink's contract concludes at the end of the current season.

But Conte, who said he would leave the national team after the tournament in France to take a job in club management, prefers to focus on Thursday's meeting with Spain and the game with Germany on 29 March ahead of this summer's European Championship.

When asked about the Chelsea job, the Italian told a press conference in Coverciano: "There aren't any offers in England tempting me because right now I'm still the coach of the national team and for me this is a fantastic experience.

"In the future, I will consider what is going to happen but my focus right now is completely on Italy. However, I do believe it was right to show transparency by announcing that I will not be here next season.

"All I know is that I won't be here and I will return to club coaching and it is a decision not to be taken lightly. Let's see what the future holds for me, whether it is in Italy or abroad."

Conte has been forced to make one change to his squad due to injury to Torino forward Ciro Immobile with Anderlecht striker Stefano Okaka called up as his replacement

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