Torino Coach Giampiero Ventura proposes himself for the Azzurri: 'I'd choose them over Bayern Munich or Chelsea!'
The troubled relationship between current Coach Antonio Conte and the Nazionale has prompted all sorts of speculation about who his possible successor might be, should he choose to leave his position this summer after Euro 2016.
Ventura, speaking in an interview with Il Corriere dello Sport, revealed he'd be more than happy to step in.
Torino Coach Giampiero Ventura proposes himself for the Azzurri: 'I'd choose them over Bayern Munich or Chelsea!'
The troubled relationship between current Coach Antonio Conte and the Nazionale has prompted all sorts of speculation about who his possible successor might be, should he choose to leave his position this summer after Euro 2016.
Ventura, speaking in an interview with Il Corriere dello Sport, revealed he'd be more than happy to step in.
“I would just love to!” he said. “I've had offers from far away, from abroad, to Coach a national team. There was a lot of money on the table, but I passed.
“If I was asked to choose between Bayern, Chelsea and the Azzurri, I'd have no doubts.
“Coaching the national team would be such an honour, that no contract could compare, however rich.
“I'm convinced that a generation of footballers is blooming that could allow our national team to open a cycle like the one between 1978 and 1982. I'm thinking of [Domenico] Berardi, [Simone] Zaza, [Daniele] Baselli, [Marco] Benassi. There are very many, in Serie A and B alike.
“Conte is doing a great job, but some of them may not be ready for Euro 2016. Still, it's possible to plan for the future.”
The 68-year-old was then asked who was the strongest player that he ever Coached.
“Fabian O'Neill. He was a real champion. But he used to drink a lot. He acted as a professional as long as he was with us at Cagliari. Before and after that, it was a disaster.
“At Juventus they became aware of the situation and things didn't last. But on the pitch, when he touched the ball, it was like a light switched on. He embodied the essence of football.
“The reasons behind my popularity? I challenge the false seriousness of football. True football isn't in the polemics that are quickly forgotten, but in [Gigi] Riva's bicycle kick against Vicenza, Rivelino's feints, Ronaldo's dribblings.
“When I went against [Zinedine] Zidane, I told myself it was a privilege to watch him play from close up. I love football, its beauty, even its poetry. And I try to help every lad become a decent, good or excellent footballer.
“Torino's history [the Superga tragedy] is in its DNA. They've lived through some terrible moments that broke people's dreams. Those moments must be honoured with dignity, but it's also necessary to honour the shirt by looking forward.
“Torino wasn't just great yesterday, it must return to being so today and that's what we're working towards. Of course, there will always be a difference between clubs earning €40m and others earning €400m.
“Today our target is European qualification and that's what we measure our efforts against. The Granata shirt weighs because of its history, but draws its beauty from that same history too.”