Conte ideal for Italy, but only on one condition, newspaper warns | OneFootball

La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that Antonio Conte would be the ideal candidate for the Italy job, as long as he agrees to serve for four years, with the aim of bringing the Azzurri back to the World Cup in 2030.

Conte is expected to leave Napoli after two years, taking charge of his last game at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday against Udinese.

Conte must commit to Italy until 2030

The Partenopei boss is regarded as one of the leading candidates to take over the Italy national team, returning to Coverciano after his first stint from 2014 to 2016.

His Italy team was not exactly filled with talent, yet Conte managed to bring the Azzurri to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, where they lost on penalties to Germany.

“He used the Azzurri as fuel. At such a sad moment, it is difficult to find a better figure for yet another rebuilding phase,” wrote Gazzetta.

NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 18: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach gestures during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and SS Lazio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 18, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“Pep Guardiola would generate enormous excitement, but his style of football requires daily training sessions and would probably lose its effectiveness at Coverciano.

“Roberto Mancini won the Euros in 2021, only to tarnish that achievement with his departure for Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.

“The doors should be thrown wide open for a second spell under Conte, on the condition that he does not stop at all at the 2028 European Championship, but instead sets his sights on the 2030 World Cup and finally closes the cursed circle of failures to qualify for football’s biggest competition. This is no minor detail.”

Conte’s career speaks for itself, both in terms of results and loyalty to his clubs. The only one where he spent more than two years as a coach was Juventus between 2011 and 2014. His subsequent experiences with the Italy national team, Chelsea, Inter, Tottenham and Napoli each lasted only two seasons.

“Italy cannot afford a short-term appointment, but needs Conte to commit for four years. The objective is enormous and, if achieved, would leave a mark on history: bringing Italy back to the World Cup after three failed attempts,” concluded Gazzetta.

“In that case, it would feel like winning the World Cup itself. Conte 2030 would benefit everyone, including him. If he restores Italy to where it once belonged, he will be remembered as the father of the footballing nation.”