Carlo Tavecchio claims he’d have brought Antonio Conte back as Italy CT, if he hadn’t been forced to resign as head of the FIGC.
The Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, with Coach Giampiero Ventura sacked after the play-off defeat to Sweden.
Initially the head of the Federation refused to step down, but under pressure he announced his resignation in a lengthy, fiery and at times bizarre Press conference.
Carlo Tavecchio claims he’d have brought Antonio Conte back as Italy CT, if he hadn’t been forced to resign as head of the FIGC.
The Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, with Coach Giampiero Ventura sacked after the play-off defeat to Sweden.
Initially the head of the Federation refused to step down, but under pressure he announced his resignation in a lengthy, fiery and at times bizarre Press conference.
“It was a very painful decision,” Tavecchio reflected in an interview with SportItalia.
“I was bearing a weight that perhaps wasn’t just my own, not least because I didn’t take a penalty kick or even coach.
“I felt almost humiliated by a situation that saw our nation not be present at the World Cup after almost 60 years.
“I took this decision which even with urgency didn’t have to be done. I had a lot of sleepless nights.
“Who would I have appointed? Conte. I’d have got deals with all the sponsors in the world and I’d have got it done for sure.
“It wasn’t just Puma, I enquired everywhere and there were sponsors ready to bring Conte home.
“As for Roberto Mancini, everyone knows which team I support so how could I speak badly about someone who brought such great results to Inter. “But the problem isn’t what the Coaches bring anymore, it’s what you [the media] say. You do matches, not the Coaches.”
Tavecchio also rounded on CONI, the Italian Olympic Federation.
“If I hadn’t had to give €28-30m to CONI I’d have kept Conte. Do you understand what I’m saying? Conte would have stayed if we had the financial power to pay for him, but the Federation gave €30m or more.
“CONI held back more than €30m of the contributions given to it by the Federations, going from €80m in contributions to €36-37m when I was there.
“With that money I could have paid Conte, and with Conte we’d never have stayed at home.”