Antonio Conte admits he felt “intense thoughts” upon leaving his Italy office for the last time. “This experience completed me as a Coach.”

The Azzurri face Finland in a friendly at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona on Monday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

This will be Conte’s last game on Italian soil for a while, as after Euro 2016 he is heading to Chelsea.

Antonio Conte admits he felt “intense thoughts” upon leaving his Italy office for the last time. “This experience completed me as a Coach.”

The Azzurri face Finland in a friendly at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona on Monday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

This will be Conte’s last game on Italian soil for a while, as after Euro 2016 he is heading to Chelsea.

“To be honest, I did feel a pang of nostalgia when leaving my room in Coverciano, which was my home for two years. Some intense thoughts did cross my mind,” he said in a Press conference.

“I am someone who gets emotionally attached and when I move on, a part of me always remains. I always said what inspires me about football is working with the players every day, so I am happy to have that bond with them.

“I think this experience with the Nazionale has completed me as a Coach. In football terms I also learned to make every half-second count to get my ideas across. It’s not easy to do that in a couple of days.

“This is always inevitably a selection rather than a team, putting players in their positions and hoping they win. My idea was always to create a team.

“I must thank the Nazionale, as I do all the clubs I worked for, as I am proud to have been chosen for this role. Going into every job I promise hard work, passion and aiming for the best. Hopefully we can make our fans proud.”

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