The Italian national team is growing increasingly desperate to hire a new manager, with Pep Guardiola already approached. But new technical director Paolo Maldini has revealed that an attempt has also been made for Carlo Ancelotti.
Reports today have widely revealed that a move for the Spaniard is looking increasingly unlikely because of the financials involved.
But this doesn’t mean the hunt for a manager has stopped. Maldini spoke to the press at the Lega Nord offices in Milan and he clarified their intentions.
He said – via La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I feel a great deal of responsibility and pressure. This is an ambitious project. It’s a call to arms – when Italy calls, it’s hard to say no. I wasn’t aware of the initial difficulties, but I sensed the possibility of success and everyone’s willingness to participate in the renewal.
“This was crucial to our decision, as was President Malagò’s persuasiveness. I put all my energy into convincing Leonardo. We share complete values and mutual respect. Serie A, in our meeting, expressed its complete willingness to embrace our sporting projects.”
He also spoke about the managerial appointments, revealing that attempts have been made for both Guardiola and Ancelotti.
“There’s a rush, but not much of a rush within us. Guardiola? We can’t give any news. You’ve identified one of the targets, but we’ve also spoken with Ancelotti. It seemed right to start with the best in the world, but their general availability needs to be verified.”
Maldini’s aid Leonardo was also asked about the sort of manager Italy are after.
He responded: “There are many types of coaches; we are looking for a harmony of thought. The technical direction will set the tone, a training methodology that cascades.”
Guardiola and Ancelotti are completely different sorts of managers and that, in a nutshell, hints at Italy’s lack of planning from the top. Leonardo himself sounded unsure about their identity going forward and that is a bit of a concern. Going for the biggest name possible does make sense at points but in this case, every manager on the shortlist brings different things to the table.
