The position recently became available following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso, who stepped down following their World Cup play-off final defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Calls for a total overhaul of Italian football's governing body have sparked calls for a strong figure to step into the hotseat, with Conte seen as a top candidate.
Conte spent two years in charge of the national team, taking over in 2014 following his departure from Juventus. He oversaw 25 matches with the Azzurri, winning 14 and losing five, but his reign came to an end following their Euro 2016 quarter-final defeat to Germany on penalties. Since then, he has gone on to manage Chelsea, where he won the Premier League, Inter, winning a Serie A title, and Tottenham before guiding Napoli to the Scudetto last season.