Ventura coy on Italy link

Torino coach Giampiero Ventura insists he is flattered to be linked with succeeding Antonio Conte as coach of Italy.

Conte will depart the role following the culmination of this summer’s European Championships and Ventura is believed to be one of the front-runners to take over the position ahead of qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

The 68-year-old has been in charge at Torino since 2011 and he guided the club to a 12th-place finish in Serie A this season, but he insists he has yet to enter negotiations with the Italian Football Association regarding the job as Azzurri coach.

Ventura said: “Nothing has been discussed yet so you are asking me about something which doesn’t exist.” The former Napoli boss has no previous experience of managing at international level, but he insists he is proud to have been linked with succeeding Conte.

He continued: “The papers are talking about [the Italy job] and I’m absolutely gratified by it. There’s no coach who would not be proud. I’m pleased to be linked with the Italy job — it’s a role anybody would like, but there’s nothing definite yet.

Let’s just wait and see what happens.” Conte will be hoping to leave Italy as European champions, with the Azzurri set to take on Belgium, Sweden and Republic of Ireland in Group E at the finals.

Italy reached the final of the European Championships in 2012, when they lost the showpiece match 4-0 to Spain, and they are available at 17.00 to go one better and win the tournament in France.