Former Roma chief Gianluca Petrachi has revealed they were close to appointing Antonio Conte before he took the Chelsea job.
Petrachi was pushed out of Roma last summer.
On Conte, he recalled: “We have a deep friendship, but I already quarrelled with him regarding Dzeko, who he wanted at Inter.
“Don't push me with Dzeko, I won't give him to you. I told him it's useless to bang your head against the wall.
“He's a player in the hearts of the fans and when I commit to a club, I also commit to the fans.
“At Roma they were convinced they were close to a deal with Conte. He was coming from a difficult year, after the legal disputes with Chelsea.
“He was eager for a new challenge. It's a negotiation I didn't follow, I wasn't at Roma yet. I can imagine that Antonio didn't feel reassured. Perhaps, if he had spoken directly with Pallotta, things would have gone differently.
“Roma wanted an Italian coach and when they missed out on Conte, I later learned they had talked to [Gian Piero] Gasperini, [Sinisa] Mihajlovic and [Roberto] De Zerbi."
