The Italian tactician seemed to be the top candidate for the job, but his appointment was frowned upon by some of Real Madrid's most influential players

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte broke his silence after dropping out of the race to become Real Madrid's coach. The Italian tactician spoke to Rai Sport on the matter, hinting that it was the harsh reaction from some of Los Blancos' leaders that forced him to take a step aside from the race to coach them.

Conte was tempted by an offer from Florentino Pérez, who had recently sacked Julen Lopetegui after a 5-1 loss against Barcelona. However, the Italian was well aware that his presence would not be welcome by some of the team's heavyweights, such as Sergio Ramos.

Conte blasted Ramos' statements about respecting a coach in the interview he gave to Sky Sports earlier today.

"What do I think about Ramos' words? Well, when a coach gets to a team, there has to be education and respect from both sides. When either one of those sides fails to do so, then you will have a big problem in your hands," Conte said.

Reports in Spain suggested that Ramos' reaction to Conte's possible arrival was prompted by a massive overhaul proposed by Conte, which would have seen the Spaniard leaving the club next summer. Conte denied such claims, especially if he had arrived to Los Blancos' hot seat as the season unfolded.

"In Italy we have a massive work ethic. You can't change it all when you're dealing with a new environment, you have to do it step by step. Each coach has to become a great tailor to adapt his beliefs to the tools he has available," the coach added.

After being linked with a number of jobs, Conte has played down all rumors about being desperate to coach, hinting that he will enjoy a sabbatical until June 2019.

"For a coach such as myself, I think it's better to wait until next year rather than catching a train that's already in motion. I think I'm ready to wait for a good offer to come along in June," Conte concluded.