Al-Ittihad preparing lucrative contract offer for Italy coach Antonio Conte
Quick summary
Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad are preparing a hefty contract offer for Italy national team head coach Antonio Conte, raising concerns about his future with the Azzurri ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Attributed to original sourceIn a potentially worrying update for the Italy national team, Monday’s reports claim that Al-Ittihad are prepared to offer Antonio Conte a hefty salary in order to take over from Sergio Conceicao as head coach in the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Ittihad circling over Conte, waiting for Italy decision Conte, along with former CT Roberto Mancini, are the leading candidates to take over from Gennaro Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team following the departure of the former Milan midfielder along with Gianluigi Buffon and Gabriele Gravina back in early April.
Have your say: Conte or Mancini as the next Italy coach in 2026? Football Italia Poll NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 15, 2026 in Naples. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) It is set to be a busy week for the Italy national team set-up and newly-elected FIGC President Giovanni Malago, who is set to make a series of crucial personnel decisions in the coming weeks. The new head of the Italian FA is seeking to appoint a new technical director of the national team – Paolo Maldini among the candidates – and will then move on to the appointment of a new head coach.
However, according to Monday’s reports from the Corriere dello Sport , the Italy national team is not the only option that awaits Conte, who left his position with Napoli at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are reportedly willing to offer Conte a ‘dizzying’ salary to take over from short-lived Milan boss Conceicao as head coach.
The Corriere dello Sport remains confident that Conte would still accept an offer from the Italy set-up if he is the no.1 candidate, but if an offer does not arrive, he will be left evaluating whether to take some time off or to accept a new and potentially extremely lucrative offer abroad.
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What happened
Al-Ittihad are reportedly ready to table a substantial financial package to lure Antonio Conte away from the Italy national team job. Conte, who returned to the Azzurri bench in 2024 after a spell at Tottenham, is seen as a prime target for Saudi clubs looking to attract high-profile European coaches. The potential move would be a significant blow to Italy's preparations for the 2026 World Cup in North America, where Conte was expected to lead the national team's campaign. Italian football officials and fans are reportedly concerned about losing their coach midway through the World Cup cycle.
Chance analysis
Conte remains one of the most sought-after coaches in world football, and Al-Ittihad's aggressive recruitment strategy mirrors the Saudi Pro League's earlier capture of stars like Benzema and Neymar. If Conte departs, Italy would face a destabilizing coaching change during a critical World Cup cycle, forcing the FIGC to scramble for a replacement. For prediction systems, Conte's potential exit introduces significant uncertainty around Italy's tactical identity, squad morale, and qualification/form trajectory.
If Conte accepts, Italy would lose their head coach during the 2026 World Cup cycle, disrupting squad stability and tactical continuity ahead of the tournament.
Treat Italy's future match predictions with lower confidence if Conte's departure becomes likely, as a coaching change mid-cycle materially affects team performance and tactical setup.