It's official. Antonio Conte is the new manager of Italy's national team after being officially introduced at a press conference on Tuesday in Rome.
Conte, who led Juventus to three Serie A titles in his three seasons at the club, will earn around €3.2 million per year, more than any previous Azzurri manager. His first match will come on Sept. 4 when Italy take on the Netherlands in a friendly, and five days later, he'll take the sideline as Italy begin their quest to qualify for Euro 2016 in a Group H qualifier versus Norway.
The hiring is being met with some controversy, however, as his large salary is thanks to a deal with kit sponsors Puma. Over half of Conte's income will be provided by the German sportswear company in what many view as a conflict of interest.
"How will Conte deal with the players who have contracts with the same sponsor who is paying his salary?" Maurizio Crosetti asked in La Repubblica. "Who will have the final say when it comes to renewing a contract? Will it be the banana man who will decide? Or Puma's managing director?"
For those unaware, the "banana" reference deals with newly-elected Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio, who recently described African players as "banana eaters."
