MILAN: The mood in Italy was despondent after the Azzurri crashed out of the World Cup in Brazil last year, leading to the resignation of coach Cesare Prandelli and the president of the Italian football federation. Antonio Conte took over and steered Italy to top spot in its qualifying group for the 2016 European Championship, booking a spot in the tournament with a game to spare. But question marks still remain over whether Conte has improved Italy. In Conte's 16 matches in charge, Italy has won nine and drawn five, losing just twice - both friendly matches. However, the performances have been less than impressive with slender, uninspiring wins against much smaller teams in Azerbaijan,...
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