Antonio Conte weighed in on the Euro in an interview with Radio Rai. “My assessment on Italy is certainly a positive one. They had to win their group and they did it brilliantly. They are all rowing in the same direction, the group is tight and hungry. So this generally bodes well.”
“I think that the other top national teams all confirmed their value. I like France and Germany. They have experience and strong players. Belgium is an excellent side as well. They would be very dangerous if Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel fully returned to form.”
Conte believes the Azzurri can win it all: “They have the right consistency and are candidates to go on a deep run. They exude confidence, and the balance between the two phases is noticeable. Of course, we need to wait for tougher matches, but we can think very positively. What they are doing must not be underestimated.” On the comparison with his squad: “We were very compact too, the starters and the bench players were all on the same page like today.”
He does not believe there will be a surprise winner: “I do not see any outsider coming out on top. One of the expected teams will prevail, hopefully Italy. They might face Belgium, which have constantly been higher than them in the ranking despite not winning anything in recent years. They are one of the contenders, but they will have to prove to have made the leap.”
Conte concluded by discussing his immediate future: “I will try to study and learn throughout the next year. I will exploit this sabbatical that I did not want to the best of my capabilities. It is fine though, I will use it to watch football and spend time with my family.”