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After Real Madrid's huge 5-1 defeat to rivals Barcelona, Antonio Conte was heavily rumoured to be taking over as the new manager of Real Madrid. Despite these reports being published in many sports outlets, the Italian quickly ruled himself out of the running by stating he has no interest in the position in Spain. This means that Santiago Solari is now in temporary charge of the club, as the search for a new manager continues.
Conte spurning the Madrid publicly is not good look for the struggling giants. However, despite Conte's snub, the Madrid job remains among the most prestigious in world football, so here we will discuss the three reasons why Conte decided that life in Madrid wasn't for him.
#3 Welcome break
Conte endured a stressful season last year with Chelsea. The Italian was constantly in the spotlight with both reports of him falling out with players, and constant speculation that those at the top of the club had lost their belief in Conte's ability to lead the club.
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The former Italy manager managed to guide his team to an FA Cup triumph, however, he was sacked due to a disappointing league campaign as they fell from champions to 5th in just 12 months.
The 49-year-old has been in constant work since his management debut back in 2007, and the manager is now enjoying his first break for 10 years. Conte himself recently hinted that it is unlikely that he will manage this season, so the timing seems to be a factor in his decision not to join Madrid.
#2 Manchester Calling
Due to the immense pressure and speculation regarding Jose Mourinho's future, Antonio Conte has been linked to Manchester United over the last few weeks. Conte himself is not able to manage the club until the end of the season, as Chelsea have a contract clause stating the Italian cannot manage in England this season.
The 49-year-old has been reported to be 'confident' of getting the Manchester United job in the summer of 2019, however, this may depend on Manchester United's form under Jose Mourinho for the rest of the season.
Mourinho is still under contract, and if the team improves over the next six months, United will surely not replace the Portuguese manager. Conte wants to manage the Manchester giants, but this decision seems out of his hands.
#1 Real Madrid's players didn't want him
As soon as Antonio Conte emerged as the front-runner for the Madrid job, a number of important players were reported to have voiced their opposition to the Italian taking over. This reluctance from the players ultimately led to Conte ruling himself out of the job, as the Italian did not want to face both Madrid's current struggles, in addition to a squad that did not want him in charge.
Conte, of course, faced problems with certain players at Chelsea last season, and he was clearly not willing to face a toxic environment for a second time.
It is unknown which players were opposed to Conte's appointment, however, Madrid are known to have powerful figures in the dressing room such as Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Toni Kroos.
Now the Madrid search goes on. Let us know below who you want to see in charge.
