Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years and coach Gian Piero Ventura paid the price when he was sacked on Wednesday afternoon. Now the work begins to identify Ventura’s successor. Italy have an exciting generation of players coming through and they need to be embraced into the setup and given a chance. The retirements of the experienced trio of Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli and Daniele De Rossi leaves room in the squad and Giorgio Chiellini is expected to follow them. Older players like Marco Parolo and Antonio Candreva should also be out of the equation as Italy now need to embrace their future.
Ventura had little experience of football at the top level, his best coaching job had been his four years with Torino whom he led into the Serie A, established and took into the Europa League. He also showed little inclination to trust the younger members of Italy’s squad such as Lorenzo Insigne and Stephan El Shaarawy despite strong runs of form for their clubs. Ventura also failed in establishing an identity in the playing style, there were some elements of his methods occasionally but overall he couldn’t implement a clear style of play to fit his squad. Because make no mistake; this squad is good. It might lack the absolute elite players like Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro who wore the shirt in the 2006 success but there’s still a lot of quality in Italy’s ranks.
The requirements for the new coach are clear; experience of the top level of football, bring through young players, implement a clear playing style which suits the players and a calm personality who can cool things down and create optimism ahead of Euro 2020. Before going through the alternatives, we must see who’s unattainable. Maurizio Sarri’s impresses everyone at the moment but he won’t leave Napoli given their chances of success and his playing style will be impossible to implement at the international stage were time is limited when creating a style of play. Marco Giampaolo is one of the brightest stars on the brilliant Italian coaching sky and ticks the boxes for playing style and bringing through young players but lacks experience of the top level. Despite his undeniable quality, this is not the time for him. Antonio Conte has been suggested to return but if he leaves Chelsea, which looks likely, he will likely seek another club as there is the possibility of both Milan and Juventus changing their coach next summer.
I’ve come up with a shortlist of four names I think could be up for the task although not every option is easy to pull off for the Italian federation. Here are my four alternatives.
Massimiliano Allegri
Allegri is probably the most obvious choice given his remarkable success with Juventus where he’s won three straight domestic doubles and also led them to two Champions League finals in his three seasons. Add a league title with Milan previous to that as well as a superb tenure at Cagliari and you see his pedigree. Allegri ticks all the boxes; he’s got more international experience than any other Italian coach at the moment bar Carlo Ancelotti, he’s trusted young players at Milan and is continuing that at Juve with Rugani, Bentancurt, Bernardeschi and previously Paulo Dybala, he is one of the most tactically flexible coaches in the world and is so confident and calm in his ability that he could unite the group and public just by pointing to his success. The biggest draws for me are still his international experience and his tactical flexibility. Allegri has developed Conte’s winning machine at Juve into a team capable of playing whichever way is needed; constructive positional play, ruthless counter-attacking, deep defending or high pressing. His teams can defend positionally-oriented or man-oriented depending on the opposition. Allegri adapts to the situation and gains results. That’s the Italian national team to the core.
There are some issues though; firstly, would he be prepared to leave Juventus? An appointment of Allegri would have to wait until the summer after the completion of Juve’s season but there are signs this might be his last year at Juve. Four seasons is a relatively long tenure and both club and coach might want a change. Allegri would also likely be a candidate for potential managerial vacancies at Chelsea, Arsenal or possibly Manchester United next summer. He’s one of the best coaches in the world so will obviously attract interest. Maybe the challenge to build a new national team can lure him though?
Luciano Spalletti
I know, he just joined Inter and he’s doing very well at the San Siro at the moment. However, one can not help think Spalletti would be an exciting appointment. He’s got enough experience of the highest level, he is currently trusting young players like Milan Skriniar and Roberto Gagliardini at Inter, he’s got a big personality and has shown this season that he can implement his playing style quickly. Like Allegri, Spalletti’s teams are also very flexible and his tactical mind would be of huge benefit to the Azzurri. Spalletti might not want to leave Inter if he continues to do as well as he currently is given the potential of the nerazzurri with their new owners. In any case, a caretaker would be needed as Spalletti wouldn’t leave until the summer. If he can be enticed though, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take the national team next summer while Conte or Diego Simeone replaces him at Inter. After Allegri, Spalletti is the best option available.
Gian Piero Gasperini
Gasperini has done brilliantly since his appointment at Atalanta last summer, leading them to fourth last season, their highest ever position, and continuing the success this term by impressing in the Europa League. What he lacks in experience from the top international level he makes up for with his bravery in trusting youth, his clear tactical playing style and his cool personality would create a buzz in the squad and among the fans. Gasperini impressed in his previous job at Genoa under a number of years but failed at Inter when he only lasted five days. I bet he’s learned from that and looks like one of Italy’s best coaches at the minute. Gasperini would be an exciting appointment and someone the entire nation would surely get behind. There are questions surrounding his experience of international football though and given what happened with Ventura the fear is history could repeat itself but Gasperini is the better coach. It would be intriguing to see Gasperini’s exciting style with players like Insigne, Rugani, Verratti and Belotti as well as the players he trusted at Atalanta, the likes of Gagliardini, Caldara, Conti and Spinazzola. It would never be dull.
Carlo Ancelotti
Ancelotti seems to be the favourite at the moment since he’s currently unemployed since being dismissed by Bayern Munich in September. Ancelotti has unrivalled international experience, quickly implements his playing style and his calm leadership would steady the chaos around the Azzurri at the moment. Ancelotti doesn’t quite fit the bill in regards of bringing young players through, highlighted in his time at Bayern, but given the way the younger players in Italian football perform he should trust them. There’s been fears Ancelotti has been left behind by progressive colleagues but he would probably be a decent option to lead Italy into the Euro 2020 at least (who knows, by then Allegri might be available). Ancelotti’s international experience and reputation would demand the respect of the group even ahead of the first training session. And he would certainly bring out the best of his players, he always has.
There are my four options to replace Ventura. In an ideal world I’d go for Allegri, but Spalletti, Gasperini and Ancelotti would all be good options to be the new head coach of Italy. There’s an exciting generation of players coming through in all positions. Now the FIGC need to find the right coach to bring out the best out of those players and lead Italy into a new era.
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