Totti Fuels Conte To Roma Rumours

By Max Wise

AS Roma’s club director Francesco Totti, has refused to bat away rumours linking former Chelsea and Juventus manager, Antonio Conte to the club.

Roma recently dismissed Eusebio di Francesco, who guided the club to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season, and replaced him with former Leicester City manager, Claudio Ranieri, on a deal until the end of the season.

Antonio Conte has been without a club since leaving Chelsea in acrimonious circumstances at the start of the 2018/2019 season and has been linked with several European heavyweights including Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

Conte,49, has a rich coaching CV that has seen him win league titles with Juventus and Chelsea, as well as taking a less-fancied Italy side to the quarterfinals of EURO 2016.

"We see that in recent weeks there is a lot of talking about Conte," Totti said to Sky Sport Italia. "We have Claudio Ranieri on the bench and we have to show respect.

"Every club would do crazy things for him [Conte]. At the end of the season we'll decide if our coach will be Conte, Ranieri or somebody else. For now we are only thinking to qualify for the Champions League, it is not right to talk about coaches.

"I met with Antonio Conte, I can say that. A change of coach will not depend on the fourth place or not.

"He is one of the best coaches in Europe, any team would be crazy about him and the interest of Inter and Bayern Munich is the proof.

"With him on the bench there would be a winning project, it's inevitable."

Roma have climbed into the top four on the Italian Serie A table after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Cagliari took them above AC Milan and Atalanta, who are just two points shy of the Giallorossi with a game in hand.