Italy are heading for a shake-up. After Guardiola's no and the decision to drop the Pirlo option, with blame placed on his commercial agreement with a Russian betting company, Malagò has decided to turn to a big name with vast experience who has already led Italy: Roberto Mancini. According to Sky Sport, the former Azzurri boss is in pole position ahead of Antonio Conte, another candidate to become head coach after the World Cup failure with Gattuso. But the percentages could change in the next few hours. A decision will arrive between this evening and tomorrow, Thiago Motta and Andrea Pirlo are now out of the running, ruled out for different reasons.
Calciomercato.comFarewell Maldini and Leonardo
Mancini and Conte were never among the names sporting director Maldini and adviser Leonardo considered, because they had always wanted a different profile. They opposed Malagò’s choice and decided to step aside. They had been tasked with restructuring the Italy football system and identifying the new head coach, but they were never given a free hand. Their time in the role lasted only 16 days. Both resigned. For the sporting director role, Giorgio Chiellini, currently Juventus’s Chief Club Affairs Officer, is now the frontrunner.
Conte and Maldini’s chances
Conte is the name Serie A clubs are backing, and they are willing to contribute financially to meet the demands of the former Napoli manager. A four-year contract is ready, running until the 2030 World Cup. The former Juve and Inter manager, who already led Italy between 2014 and 2016, losing on penalties to Germany in the European Championship quarter-finals, pushed his candidacy at the start of April: "If I were the federation president, I would consider myself." He wants to return to the Azzurri. He wants to come full circle.
Mancini, a close friend of Malagò, made a mea culpa after leaving Italy first for the money of Saudi Arabia and then Qatar. He dreams of a return and is ready to commit to a long-term project. With the Azzurri he won Euro 2021 and failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, losing in the play-off semi-final to North Macedonia.
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