Luigi Di Biagio and Antonio Conte favourites to be permanent Italy manager
Tuesday 27 March 2018 20:11, UK
We look at the contenders to be Italy's next permanent manager as Luigi Di Biagio continues his audition for the post with Tuesday night's friendly against England at Wembley.
The former U21 boss was been handed the role on an interim basis when Gian Piero Ventura was sacked following their failure to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
However, it remains to be seen who will be handed the role on a permanent basis, with Italian football federation vice-commissioner Alessandro Costacurta confirming the appointment will be made on May 20.
We look at the contenders to be tasked with rebuilding the four-time World Cup winners, according to Sky Bet's odds...
Luigi Di Biagio - 2/1 with Sky Bet
Costacurta spoke highly of the former Roma and Inter midfielder in Saturday's press conference, suggesting: "I doubt Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola would have done better," in reference to their 2-0 defeat to Argentina. The 46-year-old has gone down the same path as Gareth Southgate in managing the national team's youth sides but, unlike the England boss, lacks any managerial experience at club level. Sky Bet's market rules stipulate that an interim boss will be deemed the 'permanent manager' if they oversee five or more games, meaning Di Biago would also need to take charge of Italy beyond their summer friendlies to qualify.
Antonio Conte - 11/4 with Sky Bet
Speculation over Antonio Conte's future has been rife throughout Chelsea's title defence amid his public disgruntlement at the club's transfer business. The main question is, perhaps, whether he would want to return to his previous post or prefer to continue to expand his horizons and add to an impressive CV. Sky Bet report the majority of money on the market has been on Conte, with plenty clearly being read into Costacurta's announcement date being the day after Chelsea's season potentially concludes with the FA Cup final.
Carlo Ancelotti - 5/1 with Sky Bet
Talking of impressive CVs, few stack up better than Carlo Ancelotti's. Having managed some of the game's biggest clubs, taking on the task of reviving his national team might seem an obvious step for the 58-year-old. However, after Ventura's exit he confirmed he had been contacted by the Italian FA and informed them of his intention to remain in club management. While he remains out of work since being sacked by Bayern Munich, he continues to be linked with a host of high-profile positions, including Sky Bet making him second favourite behind Thomas Tuchel to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Roberto Mancini - 5/1 with Sky Bet
Zenit St Petersburg's manager Roberto Mancini has made no such effort to distance himself from the post and his club might not fight too hard to retain his services following a dip in form. Three successive draws has seen them slip to a disappointing fifth place in the Russian Premier League, while they were knocked out of the Europa League by Leipzig. Indeed, Mancini perhaps needs Italy more than they need him, with his stock continuing to drop with a solitary cup win at Galatasaray representing his only silverware since leaving Manchester City.
Maurizio Sarri - 10/1 with Sky Bet
While Juventus continue to dominate Serie A, Napoli are providing their main opposition thanks to Maurizio Sarri's leadership. Having spent the majority of his career in the lower rungs of the Italian game, Sarri had his side flying high at the top of the table before recent slip ups saw them lose top spot and crash out of the Europa League, also at the hands of RB Leipzig.
Claudio Ranieri - 12/1 with Sky Bet
If the job of turning Italy's ageing squad around is as difficult as some suggest, one man capable of defying doubters is Claudio Ranieri. Having performed the unthinkable with Leicester, the Italian veteran currently has Nantes competing for European qualification in Ligue 1. If the Italian FA are interested then the good news is that his club's owner has already confirmed they will not stand in Ranieri's way of taking the post.
Massimiliano Allegri - 12/1 with Sky Bet
The same can surely not be said for Massimiliano Allegri, with Juventus hoping he will lead them to a seventh success scudetto and finally capture the Champions League. With Costacurta's announcement date before the Champions League final, the Old Lady would not welcome any approaches for the man who has led them to two finals in the last three campaigns.
