The former Chelsea boss is respectful of the Three Lions' talents, but believes they can be got at if Italy deploy the correct tactics
Former Italy boss Antonio Conte has been assessing England’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of the Euro 2020 final – and has some advice for the Azzurri as they prepare for Sunday’s game at Wembley.
Conte is well-placed to talk about English football, having won the Premier League and FA Cup during his two years in charge of Chelsea between 2016 and 2018.
Prior to that he spent two years in charge of the Italian national side and believes he has identified an area of the pitch his former players can exploit on Sunday.
What did Conte say?
Writing in his column for Gazzetta dello Sport, Conte praised England’s attacking players and believes they will pose more of a threat than Italy’s semi-final opponents Spain.
“Unlike Spain, who tended to pass it backwards, [England] always try to hit you in one-on-one situations,” said Conte, who led Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
“Dribbling, cutting inside and overlaps... there’s not only [Raheem] Sterling but also [Bukayo] Saka, [Phil] Foden, [Jadon] Sancho, [Jack] Grealish.
“And then of course Harry Kane. Many praise his ability to go get the ball and link up with the team, as with the equaliser against Denmark. Of course, he is very good at that, but it is in the middle of the penalty area that he is very strong, a sniper, and I would always keep him there as a manager, because he can be devastating.”
However, Conte believes that if Italy can contain England’s attacking threat, they are vulnerable at the other end of the pitch.
“In the middle of the park they have two very physical midfielders in [Declan] Rice and [Kalvin] Phillips, capable players who bring balance but very few vertical passes, often going for the easiest option,” he added.
“One of England’s weak spots is that, if their defence is pressed when building from the back, they aren’t as good as Spain at escaping their opponents’ press. But if you go after them with ultra-offensive pressing and they do escape, then watch out for their pace up front.
“Again, this is when the [Italy] players must show their experience at reading the various moments of the game.”