ROME: Antonio Conte – Italy coach and favourite to take over next season at Chelsea – has been notified of a trial date over his failure to report match fixing he was allegedly aware of when he was coaching Siena.

The trial will begin on April 4 and could last for more than a month, which should ensure completion before Euro 2016.

The Italian football federation wants Conte, who has denied the charge, to be able to prepare for the tournament without the trial hanging over him.

Conte, who guided Juventus to the Italian league title after leaving Siena, was found guilty by a sports court in 2012 and banned for 10 months, which was reduced to four months on appeal.

Conte is accused of failing to report a match between Albinoleffe and Siena in May 2011 had been fixed – an omission which implicated him in the scandal, even though he was not directly involved in the match-fixing itself.

If found guilty, he could be banned from any activity in sport for over six months and fined at least €30,000.

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