In the wake of the disaster... a surprise name is in the running to take charge of the Italian national team

Italian football is going through a complex transitional phase following the major shock of failing to qualify for the World Cup finals, a crisis that has paved the way for a series of radical changes within the federation.

The resignation of Gabriele Gravina as president of the Italian Football Federation has been confirmed, plunging the entire system into a phase of comprehensive reorganisation, spearheaded by the crisis over the selection of interim technical leadership for the senior national team, pending the appointment of a permanent coach to succeed Gennaro Gattuso.

With two friendly matches approaching, ahead of the Federation’s presidential elections scheduled for 22 June in Rome, the Federation finds itself facing a real dilemma; it must appoint a coach to lead the national team on an interim basis, despite the absence of an official head coach, whilst also needing to prepare for the selection of a permanent technical director as soon as possible.

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According to reports by Sport Mediaset, the most likely candidate to take on this interim role is Silvio Baldini, the current manager of the Under-21s, who is seen as a practical solution to navigate this sensitive phase with minimal disruption.

This move brings to mind the scenario of 2018, when the Italian national team failed to qualify for the World Cup under the leadership of Giampiero Ventura, with Luigi Di Biagio taking temporary charge for two friendly matches against Argentina and England, before Roberto Mancini was subsequently appointed as permanent manager, in a move that restored relative stability to the team.

Today, eight years on, history appears to be repeating itself, with the possibility that Baldini will be entrusted with the same task, pending the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections, which represent the most significant turning point in the process of rebuilding Italian football.

The coming weeks are expected to reveal the outlines of the national team’s new project, as the shape of the next phase will be determined by the results of the 22 June elections, to which all crucial decisions will be tied, foremost among them the selection of a permanent manager capable of restoring the Azzurri to their rightful place on the world stage.

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