Euro 2016 Coach bemoans lack of rising talent

Aheadf of Euro 2016, Italian coach Antonio Conte has revealed that he does not think there are many good young players in Italy.

Speaking about the current state of Italian football, Conte expressed several concerns.

"There is a shortage of good young players in Italy," he told reporters.

He expressed his upset that this is happening in a country with Italy's impressive footballing history.

"We're talking about Italy here, a country that has always produced great talents," stated the Italian.

"A few years ago Italy dominated football and three out of every four Champions League semi-finalists were Italian, but that is no longer the case.

"Italy is no longer the top destination for the best players, who prefer other destinations such as Spain."

In Conte's time with the press, he also spoke about Italy's chances at Euro 2016 and the difficulty of their group.

"In my opinion, [Group E] is the most difficult group," he said.

"We start off against Belgium, who have a great team, and it won't be at all easy. Their backups would be starters in almost every other national team.

"In November they beat us 3-1, so we've already seen their potential.

"Sweden and Republic of Ireland are also difficult."

Asked whether Sweden are too dependent on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Conte pointed out that they are not simply a one-man team.

"Sweden is a very solid team in defence," the 46-year-old said.

"On top of that, they have a player who can make the difference.

"Over the years, [Ibrahimovic] has improved and he is a source of inspiration for his teammates."

As for Ireland, Conte pointed to the fact that they were able to frustrate the world champions.

"Ireland took points off of Germany, which shows that they are a tough team," he said.

"I saw their play-off against Bosnia and they have improved.

"They are very physical and like to play long balls, the classic English style."

In terms of overall favourites, Conte listed Germany, Spain, France, England, Portugal and Belgium as Italy's main rivals.

"I'm not saying Belgium is going to win, but there can always be a surprise," Conte explained.

"Look at Leicester [City] this year, who were able to win the title with hard work and commitment."

Asked about his own side's chances, Conte admitted that the injuries to Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti do not help, but vowed to focus on the players he does have available.

He did not, however, promise a Euro 2016 win for the Azzurri.

"We'll start with low expectations, because Italian football is not in good shape, but as you go through the tournament perhaps you can increase them," he said.

Italy's first match in the tournament is against Belgium in Lyon on June 13.