Conte coy about future with Juve

Juventus manager Antonio Conte declined to commit his future to the newly-crowned Serie A champion after its ceremonial 1-0 win over Atalanta on Monday, sparking fears he might leave the club he has led to three straight titles.

Juventus had already secured the championship thanks to Roma's spectacular 4-1 collapse at Catania on Sunday but, as his players celebrated on the pitch, Conte remained cagey about what next season holds.

"It's been an extremely tiring season; I doubt Juventus could've done any more than this over the past three years," Conte told Sky Italia.

"We need to sit down and talk about it in a calm manner. What I want to say I'll say to the president and directors."

There has been intense speculation about Conte's future for weeks in Italian media, with the manager himself refusing to give a firm answer when pressed.

Juve fans chanted "Conte, stay with us!" during Monday's game, which was decided by a Simone Padoin strike in the 72nd minute, but there now appears to be serious doubt the bench boss will return.

"I have a great relationship with the board, so we'll assess what needs to be done for the good of Juve, which is what I want, and if I have the strength to carry on," said Conte.

This was not what supporters wanted to hear on a night they were celebrating what they claim is their 32nd championship, with the 2005 and 2006 titles stripped from the club after a match-fixing scandal.

Juventus has been reborn under the 44-year-old, who won four league titles and a Champions League in 13 years as a Juve player.

The club finished seventh in the two years before he arrived, but now is Italy's dominant force again after three exceptional seasons.

The natural next step would be to restore the club as a European force and supporters had been hoping to do it with Conte at the helm.

(China Daily 05/07/2014 page24)