The Italian Football Federation president says he has never seen a coach attacked in the way the Azzurri boss has been in the wake of the Claudio Marchisio incident
Italy coach Antonio Conte has been "shaken" after being targeted by death threats, Carlo Tavecchio, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has claimed.
Conte has been caught in a furore involving former team Juventus after club patron John Elkann reportedly blamed the national team coach's excessive training for the knee ligament injury sustained by Claudio Marchisio on Friday.
Marchisio was thought to have ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while with the national team, but Juve's own MRI scans have revealed the injury is not as severe as first thought.
Tavecchio stated that Conte feels he is being unfairly criticised and revealed he has been the subject of online death threats.
Speaking to Rai Sport, he said: "I saw him and he was shaken.
"After the controversy with Juventus he received death threats on the internet.
"He feels vilified for responsibilities that are not his fault. The FIGC stands by him.
"I've never seen a coach attacked in the way he has been attacked. We defend him, he is the best we have and he is one of our greatest sporting heroes."
Italy take on Bulgaria in Uefa Euro 2016 qualifying Group H in Sofia on Saturday at 20.45 CET.
