Milan: Gian Piero Ventura’s reign as Italy coach ended Friday after a World Cup qualifying fiasco during which the four-time champions failed to reach next year’s finals in Russia.
The 69-year-old’s fate was sealed after a crisis meeting of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Rome, with former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti among the favourites to take over and rebuild the Azzurri. “As of today Gian Piero Ventura is no longer the coach of the national team,” the FIGC said in a statement.
According to reports, Ventura will be paid his salary until the end of his contract in June 2018, which amounts to approximately 8,00,000 euros (USD 9,43,000).
However, FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio will stay on despite mounting pressure on him to also resign after a defeat which has left a nation traumatised. “The federation president (Tavecchio) informed participants at the (crisis) meeting… of the impossibility for him to resign,” the statement read, awaiting ‘a series of proposals’ on how to fix Italian football.
Tavecchio later told journalists that a new coach would be named at a special meeting of the FIGC federal council which would take place next Monday. “We are considering big names for the role of coach,” the 74-year-old promised.
Ancelotti is seen as the frontrunner, as the 58-year-old is free since being sacked by Bayern Munich at the end of September. Italian Ancelotti has won three Champions League crowns, and league titles in Italy, England, Germany and France, and would provide the high profile required after the Ventura fiasco.
A return by Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini are also being considered.
Agence France-Presse
