FLASH
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The rebuilding of the Italian national team after recent disappointments on the international stage could begin amid debates and internal clashes. While the names of Giovanni Malago for the presidency of the federation and Paolo Maldini for the role of technical director have been received positively, the idea of appointing Andrea Pirlo as coach of the "Azzurri" has divided opinions in Italian football.
The new leadership of the Italian Football Federation is considering the possibility of the legendary former midfielder taking over the national team. According to reports, Malago, Maldini and advisor Leonardo have initiated contacts to discuss a possible project with Pirlo. However, the Serie A clubs seem to have another option: Antonio Conte.
According to Italian media, top clubs believe the current Napoli coach would be the most suitable candidate to take over as Italy coach after Gennaro Gattuso. Conte's experience, character and ability to handle high-pressure situations are seen as important elements at a delicate moment for Italian football.
Meanwhile, another name favored by Giovanni Malago is Roberto Mancini. The potential president of the federation has a consolidated relationship with the former Italy coach, which indicates that the race for the Azzurri bench is not yet decided and includes several alternatives.
Moreover, Andrea Pirlo does not seem to enjoy much support from the fans either. In a survey conducted by “ SportMediaset ”, in which over 30 thousand voters participated, the former Milan and Juventus star resulted as the least preferred candidate for the leadership of the national team. Pirlo received only 2% of the votes, much less than Pep Guardiola (45%), Carlo Ancelotti (28%) and Antonio Conte (15%).
Doubts about Pirlo's possible appointment have also been expressed by some of the most prominent Italian football analysts. The criticism is mainly related to the lack of consistent results in his career as a coach, despite the extraordinary success he had as a player.
Corriere della Sera journalist Fabricio Roncone has argued that Pirlo does not yet have the experience needed to lead Italy in a rebuilding phase. According to him, Pirlo remains an icon of world football, but the transition from the pitch to the bench has proven to be much more complicated than expected.
Stefano Agresti, deputy editor of "Gazzetta dello Sport", also stressed that the criticism of Pirlo is not personal, but is related to the fact that his adventure as a coach so far has not been convincing. He mentioned the dismissal from Juventus, the difficult period in Turkey and the unsuccessful experience at Sampdoria.
According to Agresti, the best choice for Italy would be Antonio Conte, who is seen by many Italian football figures as the coach with the right profile to restore the winning mentality and confidence in the national team.
The Italian Federation is expected to make a decision in the coming days and aims for the new coach to be presented before the meeting with Serie A clubs on July 23. If the final choice is Andrea Pirlo, his first challenge will be extremely big: to unite a divided environment and restore the fans' enthusiasm for the "Azzurri".
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