Antonio Conte said he would like to manage a team “that has won recently”, highlighting the need for the club to have a successful history in an apparent dig at some of his recent employers.
The Italian has been out of work since leaving Tottenham in March, when his stay in north London came to a dramatic end after he branded his players “selfish” and criticized the club’s culture.
During his 16 months at Spurs, Conte was unable to end the club’s quest for a trophy, losing to AC Milan and Sheffield United in the Champions League and FA Cup respectively last season.
Conte recently said he enjoyed spending time with his family when asked about his future plans, but the 54-year-old has now discussed a potential return and his desire to avoid the projects he has had in recent years.
“One day I would like to coach a team that recently won,” Conte said at the Trento sports festival organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“For example, I took Chelsea from seventh place, Juventus from seventh.”
In his final weeks at Spurs, Conte was highly critical of the club’s mentality, saying the problems went deeper than just the manager and that major changes would be needed to end the trophy drought.
The Italian has regularly referred to Tottenham’s past struggles and it is clear that he views the club’s history as crucial to future success.
“When I hear people say history doesn’t count, that’s a big lie to me,” Conte said.
“When you walk into the headquarters, into the sports center, and turn around and look… being surrounded by trophies, cups, it makes you say, ‘They did it, we’re here to try and replicate what was done in the past.’
“When there is a story, even if there is dust on it, you gain a winning mentality and the path becomes less difficult.
“When you win, you realize what victory brings, when it is celebrated and history is written; then you want to repeat yourself and struggle to accept defeat.”