The search was on to find a
replacement for Roberto Mancini after his surprise resignation
as Italy national team coach on Sunday, with former Napoli coach
Luciano Spalletti and former Italy and Tottenham coach Antonio
Conte among the most likely candidates.
Spalletti said he would be stepping down as Napoli coach at the
end of the season after leading the team to victory in Italy's
Serie A tournament.
It was the third Italian championship crown in the history of
the Naples side, and their first since 1990, when late soccer
great Diego Maradona played for them.
Spalletti said he wanted to take a year's sabbatical in order to
spend more time with his daughter.
Conte coached Italy between 2014 and 2016 and in March he left
Tottenham Hotspur by "mutual agreement", reportedly after a
breakdown in relations with players.
He had been expected to leave the team when his contract expired
at the end of the season.
Other potential candidates to replace Mancini include 2006 World
Cup champion Fabio Cannavaro with a coaching career mainly in
China and a brief experience at Benevento in Italy's serie B
last year; and Mancini's assistant Daniele De Rossi.
There are also rumours of a possible agreement between Figc and
Juventus to bring the Turin team's coach Massimiliano Allegri to
the national side.
Photo: Napoli's head coach Luciano Spalletti during the Italian
Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs UC Sampdoria at the Diego
Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, on June 4.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
