Reports from Italy indicate that Antonio Conte will have to accept a significant pay cut if he decides to take over as Italy’s national team coach, succeeding Gennaro Gattuso.
Conte is among the leading candidates for the position, along with AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri and Al Sadd coach Roberto Mancini, to lead the Azzurri and rebuild the Italian national team.
According to Italian reports, Conte currently earns a base salary of €6.5 million at Napoli, plus bonuses of up to €2.5 million if the team qualifies for the Champions League.
However, the report notes that it is unusual for a national team coach’s base salary to exceed €3 million.
Conte earned around €4.5 million annually during his first stint with Italy, but that figure was largely due to sponsorship deals with Puma and a preferential image rights agreement.
Thus, if Conte wants to return for a second stint with the Italian national team, he will need, above all, a significant financial “sacrifice,” the extent of which the coach is willing to make remains unknown.
