Mancini resigned a month before important matches.
Many fans are happy with Mancini’s departure
The Italians did not play at the World Cup in Qatar. They failed to overcome North Macedonia, but entered the play-offs, as Mancini lost in the group to Switzerland. You can blame Jorginho for the unfortunate penalties at tackle, but there’s a whole team on the pitch. Then Mancini should have been fired. But since the Football Federation is managed by the incomprehensible Gabriele Gravina, Roberto remained.
We recalled Mancini’s 37-game unbeaten run, but let’s listen better to the man who revived Italian football – Arrigo Sacchi:
Italian football suffers from cultural backwardness and lacks new ideas. Other countries are developing and we are 60 years behind.
I say it clearly. To a lesser extent, the players and the coach are to blame for the situation. This is an institutional problem.
Mancini and the players cannot change the institutions by themselves, the powerful are also to blame. After the farewell from North Macedonia, talks began about appointing Ranieri, Pirlo and De Zebri. As the latter’s experience at Brighton showed, they could get a fine Italian team playing with the ball. But the young mentor is unlikely to have left club football to work for Italian officials. Mancini is not an ideal coach, but he has also become a hostage to the environment.
The exits of Italian clubs to the finals of European competitions and the presence of a handful of talentless coaches does not prevent them from finding themselves in a systemic financial and ideological crisis. Mancini has sensationally resigned. Roberto has recently been in a bad mood, because his friends Mihajlovic and Vialli have died. Mancini has seen that none of the referees has the intention of changing the national team preparation system.
The other day the coach was looking for a compromise, he was offered to manage all the Italian teams, but in the end they resigned. And ordinary Italians ask in the comments when the president of the federation will leave after the coach. Although Mancini is praised for a miraculous victory over the Euro, two years after the triumph, Roberto has reached an impasse. The squadron must be saved, because their group is not easy.
Italy lost to England 1:2 and beat outsider Malta 2:0, but a month later the clashes were against Macedonians and Ukrainians. Replacing a mentor is a very risky but intriguing move. Especially if you take into account the candidate list instead of the decent statistics of Mancini and Roberto with Italy – only 9 defeats in 61 games.
Conte and Spalletti – dream mentors
Officials called Spalletti because he left the Napoli championship. The people are on Luciano’s side, but he should hardly leave his country house. The coach has not studied the Italian national team and will have little time to prepare for the decisive matches. Euro 2024 qualifying is interrupted due to the World Cup in winter, so there are six decisive matches in two months. For Spalletti, working with the national team is an honor, but the risks must be assessed.
Conte has more reasons to agree. But how often do teams like Squadra defend their league titles? Spain have won two European Championships in a row, but the Red Fury knew how to play. And on the pitch were Champions League winners Barcelona and eventual winners Real Madrid. Italy has a more modest squad, the times of Cannavaro and Buffon are over. Gianluigi’s decision to end his career seems to sum up an era with a win world Cup.
And now, alongside stars like Donnarumma, Jorginho, Barella and Chiesa, there are solid but average players in the national team. Even the defenders have aged. It’s time to play in the center of defense for Atalanta’s Bastogne and Scalvini, but the new coach won’t have time. Italy has a good name team, but the game does not shine with originality, Euro 2020 was a happy exception.
Can appoint a young coach
A new era begins. Buffon became the Italian national team head of delegation a week ago. Now Gianluigi will have a new boss. Mancini’s decision to leave 10 months before the start of Euro 2024 points to problems, some of which are not publicised. Over the next few days, they promised to appoint a mentor. If he becomes Spalletti, the fans will hardly complain.
But the candidacies of Cannavaro and Gattuso will cause controversy. Too abrupt transition to mentors who have not won anything serious in the new profession. Sure, Mancini was remembered for his weak job at Zenit, where he was bored even with expensive Argentines in the squad. But Roberto was successful at Manchester City and Inter, even if that doesn’t mean we’re talking about a great mentor.
Not all world champions and Champions League winners are legendary coaches. But for Euro 2020, Mancini was a perfect match for Italy. Another success is unlikely, Conte and Spalletti can simultaneously refuse. Then they will choose a bold man, like Cannavaro. The Ballon d’Or winner is one of Buffon’s most loyal teammates throughout his career. But at 49, coach Fabio was invited to Ozdoev’s former club in Turkey, and he was not invited to Juventus.
Fabio has not faced Benevento, but due to his reputation he can be honored to lead the Squadra Azzurra. Group rivals Southgate and Rebrov will be looking to use the unexpected change to their advantage in the selection. But even if Spalletti is entrusted with the Italian team, Luciano shouldn’t expect big football before next summer. There has been a generational change, the stars are missing and the legionnaires are responsible for ideas in Serie A. Kim, Lobotka, Kvaratskhelia and Osimkhen created Napoli as champions.
Italy does not have a squad at the level of France or England. There isn’t a Spanish training system, but there is a crisis of ideas in the national team, like the Germans. Italy is on the list of favorites for the Euro, but in the Nations League they were eliminated by eventual champions Spain. Mancini is tired of giving in, even if the urgency to leave suggests the Saudi lead. And if not, he just had a fight with officials, because national team coaches usually don’t leave a month before big games.
