The Italian Federation is looking for a legal loophole that would let them sign Marcello Lippi as technical director.
Even as the new Coach Giampiero Ventura was confirmed for the Azzurri, the revelation that the prime candidate for the position of technical director could not be signed due to a conflict of interests ended up foiling some of the FIGC's plans.
The Italian Federation is looking for a legal loophole that would let them sign Marcello Lippi as technical director.
Even as the new Coach Giampiero Ventura was confirmed for the Azzurri, the revelation that the prime candidate for the position of technical director could not be signed due to a conflict of interests ended up foiling some of the FIGC's plans.
The decision on how to proceed is now being deferred to the Federal Council, although La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that every effort is being made to find a way to sign Lippi while complying with the rules.
Some of the slightly sly solutions, like giving the former Coach a title as 'external consultant' or finding intermediary agents for his son Davide's players, have already been dismissed within the federation as inappropriate.
With Francesco Guidolin no longer an option, the alternatives to Lippi at the moment include such veterans of Italian football as Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello.
In any case the law blocking Lippi is due to being revised in the near future, as some jurists believe it is too general in nature and may obstruct normal proceedings in Serie A.
In the meantime, questions are being asked within the FIGC as to who first made the conflict of interests public, as it may be someone who has an agenda against the Azzurri. Candidates include agents who are rivals of Davide Lippi, and clubs who did not wish to confront themselves with Marcello Lippi in the national team.