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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 20 AUGUST 2014 20 Sport FOOTBALL Conte backs Italy revival New Italy coach Antonio Conte believes the national team will "rise again" following a dismal World Cup ANTONIO CONTE has signed a two-year contract with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and was officially unveiled at a press confer- ence in Rome on Tuesday. "I am excited and very proud to represent Italy," Conte said. "I realise I join the national team at a delicate time after a negative experience at the World Cup, but I am convinced that Italy will rise again. "Italy have won four World Cups and need to return to the place where they belong. "I live to win and I search for wins, I am here to bring that mentality. I hope I will lose very little with the national team." The 45-year-old, who left Juventus last month after guiding the Turin giants to a third straight scudetto, has replaced Cesare Prandelli. Prandelli resigned alongside former FIGC president Giancarlo Abete shortly after Italy's first-round elimi- nation from the World Cup in Brazil. "I salute Prandelli, who had been the coach for four years and did a great job," Conte said. "I spent an intense, beautiful and successful three years at Juventus that naturally came to an end. I really didn't expect to be given a job after 35 days (of leaving Juve). "I was going to take some time to update my tactics, improve my lan- guages and wait for an offer from a top club later in the year. "Italy represent a top club and the challenge intrigued me.I am in the place where any coach would love to be. "Italy have won four World Cups and, behind Brazil, are the second most important national team in the world." A former Italy international, Conte will earn 8.4million euros in the next two years, making him the second- highest paid manager in world foot- ball behind Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola. Conte's contract also includes bo- nuses for qualifying for Euro 2016, reaching the final, and improving the Azzurri's world ranking by five or more places. "We had to choose someone of ex- cellence," new FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio said. "Conte is one of the most important coaches in Europe. "We need a commander in what is a very delicate time as we look to emerge from a difficult situation that happened in South America. "You cannot get a leader at a low cost, we needed to get the best and we considered our budget when do- ing so." Conte will make his coaching debut with the Azzurri in an international friendly against Holland in Bari on September 4. Italy then begin their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign away to Nor- way five days later, and Conte is op- timistic. "I'm convinced we have good play- ers," he said. "I believe the technical gap with respect to other European teams can be reduced by creating a strong group. "But I want to see that hunger and determination that there was in the team of Euro 2012 - Italy finished runners-up behind Spain - and that is the path to follow. "The players need to earn their place in the team and not take it for granted." Conte is hoping Andrea Pirlo will continue to play for Italy despite re- ports suggesting the veteran play- maker will retire from international duty. Conte coached Pirlo at Juventus, and said: "Andrea is a point of refer- ence. I want Andrea to tell me how he feels and we will talk calmly." Giuseppe Rossi is also a player that Conte is counting on, despite the Fiorentina striker having suffered several right knee injuries in recent years. Rossi was left out of Prandelli's final World Cup squad having recovered from a knee injury in time for the tournament. "Rossi is an important player," Con- te said. "I hope he can resolve his (in- jury) problems, not just for his club but for the national team. "I hope to have him available for selection." Unlike his predecessor, Conte will not follow a standard code of ethics when selecting his squad. "Code of ethics sounds a legal term and I prefer the word behaviour," he said. "I will base my decisions on what I see and on my morals." Antonio Conte Suarez: 'I don't bite anymore' New Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has pledged never to bite an opponent again and is desperate to move on from the World Cup controversy that left him "really depressed" THE Uruguayan provoked uproar in June when he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Brazil, the third time he has committed such an offence and one that initially earned Suarez a four-month ban from all football related activ- ity and a nine-match international suspension. While the ban stands, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has subse- quently relaxed the "excessive" el- ements of the punishment, mean- ing Suarez can now train and play in friendlies for his new club and country. However, Suarez has previously been banned for biting PSV's Ot- man Bakkel and Chelsea's Branis- lav Ivanovic while with Ajax and Liverpool respectively and there are fears he could commit the same offence again. He moved to allay such worries as he said at his official presentation: "I say to all the fans that I don't do that anymore. "That's something that happened and afterwards I was really de- pressed and didn't feel like doing anything. "But then I spoke to my psycholo- gist and he said I had to face it and say sorry. "I did that and now I would rath- er focus on the present which is Barcelona. "I'm here to do important things at Barca. Everything that happens in the past, that needs to be forgot- ten. "If I start thinking about every- thing I've gone through, I wouldn't be able to sleep." Suarez knows his every move with the Catalan club will be mag- nified but is comfortable it will not affect him. "Whatever player at Barcelona is going to be under the microscope," he said. "Perhaps they will be looking a bit more at me but I'm, used to that kind of thing because of what I was going through at Liverpool." Barcelona clearly do not have any concerns, moving swiftly for the 27-year-old in the wake of the biting saga and bringing him in as their marquee signing from Liver- pool. Suarez held up the number nine shirt alongside Barca's sporting director Andoni Zubizerreta and vice president Jordi Mestre, whose comments over the transfer fee could make waves on Merseyside. While the fee for Suarez had been widely reported as £75million, Mestre said: "Suarez's transfer cost 81 million euros (£65million)." The forward switched Anfield for the Nou Camp earlier this summer although the FIFA ban meant he could not be unveiled until Tues- day, a day after he made his debut as a substitute in the 6-0 friendly win over Mexican side Leon. It has been worth the wait for Suarez, though, who said: "I've dreamed of playing for Barca for years and now it's true. I never thought this moment would come. "These are spectacular experi- ences, really emotional. It was a great feeling to play in the Camp Nou, I loved it. "I've never played at the Camp Nou so to come out and see the fans was interesting for me. It hasn't sunk in yet, I can't believe this." The chance to play in a formida- ble attacking trio, alongside fellow South American superstars Ney- mar and Lionel Messi, will spur on Suarez. "Leo and Neymar are spectacu- lar, admirable players. It was just incredible watching them yester- day," he said. "We all know what they can do for Barca and I'm here to add to that and get Barca back to winning titles." Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez claps during an official team presentation at the 49th Joan Gamper Trophy football match