Italian coaching chief Renzo Ulivieri has criticised Chelsea for what he perceives as a total absence of "education and manners" in the Premier League club's pursuit of Antonio Conte.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) announced on Tuesday that Italy coach Conte will leave his role at the end of Euro 2016, with the former Juventus subsequently confirming that he plans to return to club football.
Although there has been no official confirmation as to his next destination, he is widely expected to take charge at Chelsea from the summer, with sources having told ESPN FC last month that he was top of the club's shortlist after holding talks.
Ulivieri, the chairman of the Italian Football Coaches Association, said that while he accepted that Conte was always set to leave the Azzurri upon the expiry of his contract, he was unhappy with the manner in which the 46-year-old had been pursued.
"It was known that Conte would leave the national team," Ulivieri said. "The thing I regret, though, is that a club contacts the coach of a national federation without any warning.
"It shows we are in a world which is failing to demonstrate even a minimum amount of education and manners."
Chelsea are set for a summer overhaul after a dismal defence of their Premier League title raised questions over their recruitment efforts over the last year, with the likes of Radamel Falcao, Pedro, Baba Rahman, Papy Djilobodji and Alexandre Pato all having struggled to live up to expectations.
Tuttomercatoweb has reported that Chelsea have been in talks with Roma's director of sport, Walter Sabatini, over a role in the new setup for several months.
Massimiliano Allegri, Conte's successor at Juventus, backed his compatriot to succeed if he does take over at Stamford Bridge.
"Italian coaches are very good," he told his prematch news conference ahead of Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich.
"Apart from some exceptional figures like Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, we are among the best. I don't know if Conte will go to Chelsea. I'm sure he'll do well if he does."