Italy's managerial search has descended into a farce, with Andrea Pirlo's potential appointment reportedly vetoed by the president of the Italian football federation. The decision led to the resignations of technical director Paolo Maldini and his adviser Leonardo, who had only started their roles three weeks earlier.
Pirlo's appointment blocked
Pirlo's candidacy collapsed amid public backlash over his second autobiography, titled I Think Therefore I Shill For a Russian Betting Company. Before that, Pep Guardiola had been offered the job but opted to take at least a year off.
Italy have failed to qualify for the last three men's World Cups. Since winning the tournament in 2006, their only World Cup victory has been against Roy Hodgson's England.
Favourites emerge
The leading candidates are now former managers Roberto Mancini, who won Euro 2020 with Italy, and Antonio Conte, who led the team to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals. Italian media appear to favour Mancini, though both face the dilemma of whether to return to a role they previously held.
Meanwhile, France have taken a more stable path. Zinedine Zidane was announced as Didier Deschamps' replacement, ending a predictable transition. Deschamps had managed France for 14 of the last 16 years. Zidane, who won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid, expressed his delight: “For me it’s a continuity, a dream. I had some offers during the five years I was away to take charge of a club but I turned them all down for the France team. It was the only thing I wanted to do.”
Quote of the day
Liverpool's Milos Kerkez clarified a summer misunderstanding: “No! This is wrong, everyone gets this wrong! It was my oldest brother. In Serbia it is normal for the younger brothers to take the bride to the church. That’s what I did and now everyone thinks I got married. It was Rade, not me. There are three of us – Rade is the oldest, I’m the youngest and Marko is the middle one. I keep having to explain to people that I never got married.”
Letters
John Scent criticised Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s suggestion that concerned fans should relax, pointing to inflated ticket prices and transport difficulties. Derek McGee joked about the lack of clarity surrounding Jermain Defoe’s departure, calling it “utter Woking nonsense.”
