Antonio Conte Dismisses Roma Rumours: 'The Conditions Aren't There'

Antonio Conte has said he will not join Roma in the summer amid speculation he is close to making a return to management.

The Italian has been on sabbatical since he was axed by Chelsea ahead of the current campaign, although rumours have continued to persist about a possible job in Serie A, with Roma one of the teams mentioned.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) in an interview published on Tuesday, Conte commented on the reports linking him with the Giallorossi, as well as a possible return to Juventus:

"I think Juventus have started a path and I think they’re very happy with Massimiliano Allegri, who has certainly continued my work and is doing very well. You never know what tomorrow brings. ...

"I fell in love with Rome, spending a lot of time there in my two years as CT [Italy head coach]. At the Olimpico you feel the passion of the fans, who live football with a particular intensity, who go mad for Roma and live for them.

"It has a passionate atmosphere that envelops you. Right now the conditions aren’t there, but I think I’ll coach Roma one day in the future."

As relayed by Football Italia, Inter Milan and AC Milan have also been linked with a possible move for Conte. 

Although he has been out of action for almost a year, the 49-year-old is considered one of the finest coaches in the game. He won the FA Cup at the end of his final year at Chelsea, having steered the team to a Premier League title the season before.

These numbers show just how impressive the triumphant 2016-17 term was for Conte's Chelsea side:

Tifo Football broke down the tactical blueprint used by Conte to deliver the title for the Blues:

Conte has also enjoyed success as a coach in Serie A and was a key figure in establishing Juventus as the dominant force in Italian football again. In his three years in charge of the Bianconeri, he was a Serie A winner three times.

Juventus continue to have a stranglehold on Serie A—Allegri has steered them to five more successive titles during his time in charge—and it would be a shock if they were to change their manager. For any of the other clubs mentioned, though, Conte would be a coup.

They will all be desperate to close the gap to Juventus next season, having watched the Turin giants dominate the division over the last decade. A coach with the motivational skills and tactical acumen of Conte would be a huge help Roma (30 points), Milan (30 points) and Inter (26 points) in chopping down the substantial deficit to Juventus.