Antonio Conte was on the verge of becoming coach of AC Milan in the summer before opting instead to take charge of Italy, according to agent Mino Raiola.
Raiola was an intermediary in negotiations which reached an advanced stage, although Conte in the end felt he could not move to one of Juve's rivals after deciding that the time had come for him to leave the Bianconeri.
Conte left Juve after guiding them to three straight Serie A titles. He made his decision to leave Turin just days into the start of preseason training and was replaced by former Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Filippo Inzaghi had already been appointed as coach of Milan by that stage, but not after the Milanese club had sounded Conte out.
"Antonio would have been ideal for the Rossoneri's project and I was being very insistent that he accept during those weeks," La Gazzetta dello Sport quotes Raiola as saying. "I felt that I had convinced him too, but in the end, he didn't feel up to taking what would have been such a trialling step.
"Fundamentally Antonio has kept such a strong bond with the Bianconeri and he preferred to avoid such a clean break with his history as a footballer and coach. Starting over with Milan would have been stimulating, but also dangerous in terms of the atmosphere.
"Instead, taking charge of the national team allows him to have a neutral role, which is maybe what he needed."
Conte has yet to lose as coach of Italy, who are on the way to qualifying for Euro 2016. However, after seeing his plans to stage a training camp later this month rejected by the Serie A clubs, it has been claimed that he is becoming increasingly unsettled in his new job.