Former Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura announces the end of his coaching career and hopes Italy will win the World Cup under Roberto Mancini.
The 73-year-old has announced his retirement in an interview with Tuttomercatoweb.
Salernitana sacked him in August 2020 after 40 games in charge of the Granata.
“I’ve decided to stop, I don’t want to think about the pitch anymore,” he told Tuttomercatoweb.
“I think the time has come for me to retire after 37 years of football with many satisfied and some negative moments.”
The most disappointing one was when he failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup with the Azzurri.
Italy ended the group stage as runner-ups behind Spain and were eliminated from the play-offs at hands of Sweden.
Oddly, La Nazionale play a crucial World Cup qualifying match against Switzerland in Rome tonight.
“I wish all the best to Mancini, so that he can qualify for the World Cup and win it.”
Ventura’s first appointment as a first-team coach was at Venezia in 1994. He also coached Cagliari, Sampdoria, Udinese, Napoli Hellas Verona and Torino.
He was appointed by Italy in 2016 to replace Antonio Conte and was sacked after failing to qualify for the World Cup one year later.
TMW – Nel giorno di Italia-Svizzera, Ventura annuncia il ritiro. Poi l'augurio: "Mancini, vai al Mondiale e vincilo" https://t.co/7AtjqmDDZE
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) November 12, 2021
No please! Don’r retire!! Won’t you consider the Italy job once again??? Come on Ace…
The worst national manager since 1958. Must’ve been advised by Sacchi.
He will go down in history as the man that made history for failing to qualify for Italy. It is that simple. Now time for my boy Allegri to do the same thing and teach bingo soccer at the nursing home.
Yeah about four years late.
About time…….Ruined the summer of 2018 for me and the rest of the Italian fans.
See what happens when you follow Lotito ? this is what happens !
I will remind you all that before the Nazionale Lotito had signed Ventura to coach Lazio for 1.4 mill a season……then they went to sign Bielsa and pawned Ventura off to the Nazionale for 1.5 mill a season because Tavecchio is Lotito’s butt buddy…. …..then Bielsa quit and Lazio hired Simone Inzaghi and tat my folks was the desctruction of the Nazionale
@Tony. Were you even alive when Sacchi was in charge of Italy?
Good riddance
@Vero Rossonero Yes I was very much alive. The first World Cup I watched was in 1974! Don’t be clouded by any achievements at club level. The step up in class for the Nazionale was too much for him. At club level you can buy success.
How someone as incompetent as Ventura was put in charge of the Azzurri is disgusting and disturbing. The Figc should be ashamed. Not giving a modest pay rise to Conte which is all that was required. We could have won under Conte but didn’t qualify under a Clown, Ventura.
I hope you rot in hell, you clown. This man deserve a hole on his forehead.