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Former Italy coach Antonio Conte has written a letter of thanks to all Italian fans, without who he says the national team would not have been able to get as far as they did at Euro 2016. Scepticism surrounded Italy's chances in France before the tournament began, but following wins over Belgium and Sweden in the group stage, Conte made a plea to the fans to show their support for the Squadra Azzurra's colours. The response was huge and Conte -- who will take over as Chelsea manager next week -- has paid tribute to all of those who displayed their support for the Italian national team, honouring their contribution to his side's progress in France. "A special thanks goes to all of you," he wrote on Facebook. "The strength, the pride and the support that you showed for the Azzurri colours and for the lads were fundamental for this Italy national team. "Thanks to all of your support, we were able to raise the bar and dream even higher with every game we played." Italy were knocked out of Euro 2016 on penalties by Germany in Saturday's quarterfinal. Conte announced before the tournament began that he would be stepping down following Italy's elimination and is currently taking a week-long break before reporting for duty as coach of Chelsea. Former Torino manager Giampiero Ventura has been named as his successor. He will be unveiled at a news conference in Rome on July 16.
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