"It's true, Lega Serie A would have wanted Antonio Conte on the Italy bench. We have said so on several occasions. But today we must get behind Mancini and hope he takes Italian football back to the level it deserves." Speaking to 'Radio anch'io', Ezio Maria Simonelli, president of Lega Calcio Serie A, added: "It was Malagò's choice, as he had this name in mind from the very beginning, even if it was different from the one some Serie A clubs wanted," Simonelli said, while also recalling that when it comes to Mancini and Conte, "the preference is between two big names".
He continued: "Our head coach has an outstanding list of honours, crowned by Euro 2021, the last major trophy for our football. I wish him all the best for the next five matches, starting with the one against Belgium on 25 September in the Nations League," concluded the Serie A chief.