The reports that Manchester United are looking towards current Italy CT Roberto Mancini for their new coach have now spread to the Peninsula.
It initially made an appearance in The Telegraph newspaper, suggesting Mancio was the first pick for new caretaker manager and future technical director at the club, Ralf Rangnick.
Now Italian newspaper Libero claims that Mancini could well leave the Italy bench if he fails to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
That would only be ascertained in March, when the Azzurri go into the play-offs.
They must face Macedonia, then either Portugal or Turkey before booking a place at the tournament in November and December 2022.
It would be a sudden turn of events after Mancini took over a side that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, took them to an all-time world record unbeaten run and lifted the UEFA EURO 2020 trophy this summer.
Mancini is under contract with the Italy squad until June 2026, so any termination would have to be negotiated with the Federation.
It’d also be a remarkable return to the Premier League for Mancini, who won the title with United’s arch-rivals Manchester City.
is this cuz they already know Italy are on verge of FAILING A 2ND CONSECTUTIVE WORLD CUP TICKET ?
and Mancini will have no choice but to step down, yet why would Man U really want a semi failed coach ?
I think he stays on. It’s on the players.
If anything what will happen is people will lay off on Ventura.
Too many average to below average stranieri in ‘A’ and ‘B’. Not even a hybrid Pozzo, Bearzot, Lippi will be able to have a winning National Team unless more Italians are playing in their own leagues.
FORZA AZZURRI
lol semi failed coach? he won EURO with italy, the 2nd ever trophy for italy.
yes failed to qualified for wc is disaster but his entire tenure much better than ventura. and he bit unlucky with injury, and italy player barely match fit the last 2 match againts switzerland and north ireland.
regardless calling him semi failed coach is really ridiculous just because failed to qualified WC. not even conte won anything with italy. and yet nobody called conte semi failed coach after his italy tenure.
@fabio calm down.
yes 50/50. semi failed coach…. love Mancini for stepping up to the plate when no one else wanted to as italy was at its lowest in history, did an amazing job up to euro finals. but instead of carrying that winning momentum and mentality over into nations league and WC qualifying was / is a fail. yes we needed that euro trophy win but it will all seem like a waste if we dont qualify for 2022 ! it would crush calcio. not having Azzurri AGAIN in 2022 would be twice as embarrassing as last time specially when we are the euro champs ! id would of rather lost the euro final in pks, and win nations league and qualify for 2022. so yes what i mean by semi failed is he brought Italy back to prominence but then only to turn around and fail miserably months later what he originally came in to do.
with Conte, Italy performed far above what they could have as it was weakest side in 50 years. had Conte stayed on Italy would qualified. but he had already signed with Chelsea…which imo is clash of affairs. and Conte was only in charge for less than 2 years. barely had time to accomplish anything.
also we have only 2 single elimination games for redemption and i must admit im not too confident considering we had 4 chances to book our spot and threw them away.
IMO — Path C
Italia 70%/ North Macedonia 30%
Portugal 60%/ Turkey 40%
Massive Massive Massive respect to North Macedonia but let’s be serious here. If we can’t win that one then we would deserve to be eliminated. Again, I’m not hating on them but this is a match that has to be won fairly easy. And I’m not one to be making such comments
A Turkey/ Portugal vs Italia Final in Path C would be: 51% for whichever Host/ 49% Italia. Pressure on the Home side but offset as they would know their stadium and pitch.
I still believe the Cards issue will have it’s say. If FIFA don’t approve UEFA’s recommendation to cancel the cards, Portugal will surely miss Cancelo and Renato Sanches (if you may remember Cancelo missed Euro 2020 as he contracted the virus). Sanches is important to them.
But if Portugal get by Turkey and have these 2 return for a Final versus Italy, this will be big for them.
Italy have no players suspended for North Macedonia, but many on Yellows. So if we were to lose Chiesa for the Final, we would be in serious trouble. Some other players on Yellow are negligible but Chiesa and Chiellini will be crippling.
Also…
Insigne has disappointed me. But I want to see the next 3 months when Spina returns. I will be watching some Roma matches to see how he is coming along.
Assuming he returns in January (last I heard, he was) he will have more than enough time to get on form. He will be in midseason form by the time the Playoffs arrive. I hope.
Point being: if Spina returns to the NT and is back to being at his best, this could be the kick in the pants that Lolo Insigne needs. Those 2 were amazing on the left side all the way until his injury. The interchanges, overlapping runs, the telepathy between the 2 were quite a site.
If not, maybe Mancio has to go with Chiesa in place of Insigne (Chiesa’s 2nd choice left side).
Berardi on the right. Politano or Berna to replace Berardi. Not sure yet who I want as 2nd choice left side.
If Insigne pulls a no-show in the Playoffs, obviously his NT career is over. He might as well accept that big offer from that MLS team.
FORZA AZZURRI