Conte: I will not resign as Italy coach

Conte: I will not resign as Italy coach

The former Juventus boss has no intention of stepping down and has urged the clubs to fully support him

Antonio Conte has reiterated that he will not walk away from his role as Italy head coach, while calling for greater cooperation from domestic teams.

Conte took over from Cesare Prandelli last August having led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles.

Italy have since won five and drawn one of the six matches overseen by Conte, but rumours that he was ready to quit surfaced recently after he was forced to cancel a team meeting later this month as clubs were unwilling to let their players attend.

However, the 45-year-old intends to stay put until Euro 2016 at least.

"I'll stay in my post until the European Championships in 2016," he told La Repubblica.

"Resigning has never been an option. I think I'm a very responsible person, especially in difficult times, and this is one of those times.

"I made an important commitment and I intend to respect that.

"I expect greater cooperation from the clubs. To bridge the gap to other nations, I must be able to work as a coach, not just as a selector."

Italy currently sit second in Group H of the Euro 2016 qualification campaign with 10 points from four games, level on points with leaders Croatia.