Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has surprisingly stated he would allow Antonio Conte to take charge of the Italy national team if requested. However, the Napoli owner paired that admission with a scathing critique of the current state of Italian football governance.
Antonio Conte has admitted he is "flattered" by links to the Italy national team job, opening the door to a second spell managing his country. The Napoli boss suggested that systemic changes are required to fix the Azzurri following their latest World Cup qualification failure.
Gianluigi Donnarumma has found himself at the centre of a heated row following Italy's shock World Cup play-off elimination at the hands of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Manchester City goalkeeper has been accused of "unsportsmanlike" behaviour during the decisive penalty shootout in Zenica.
Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has admitted he would be willing to sacrifice one of his prestigious titles if it meant seeing the Italian national team back at the World Cup. The Azzurri’s footballing crisis reached a new low this week as they failed to qualify for a third consecutive tournament, leaving fans and sporting icons across the country in a state of shock.
Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has been compounded by reports of a pre-match financial dispute. Italy players reportedly requested a massive bonus just days before their shocking elimination in Zenica.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup is "not good for football" as he prepares to help Riccardo Calafiori move on. The Arsenal boss is currently readying his squad for an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Southampton following a turbulent international break.
Italy
