Italy are on the lookout for a brand new coach following the sacking of Luciano Spalletti.
Spalletti revealed his contract had been terminated in a press convention on Sunday forward of Monday’s World Cup qualifier with Moldova.
The choice adopted a dreadful begin to qualifying for the Azzurri, who have been hammered 3-0 by Norway on Friday, leaving them 9 factors shy of the Group I leaders, who’ve performed two video games extra.
Spalletti will take cost of the sport with Moldova, however the focus for the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) is to discover a successor who may help them keep away from the humiliation of lacking out on a 3rd successive World Cup. Previous to 2018, Italy hadn’t did not qualify because the 1958 event.
With the likes of Carlo Ancelotti (Brazil), Antonio Conte (Napoli) and Massimiliano Allegri (AC Milan) all unavailable, we have a look at the favourites to tackle that problem, in addition to some outdoors potential candidates.
Luciano Spalletti’s press convention.#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/ZKG9Vm0ahd
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) June 8, 2025
The favourites
Stefano Pioli
The vastly skilled former AC Milan, Inter Milan and Fiorentina boss is below contract at Saudi Professional League facet Al-Nassr.
Nonetheless, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Al-Nassr unsure after they missed out on AFC Champions League Elite qualification, Pioli certainly may very well be tempted by a transfer again residence and the potential likelihood to steer his nation at a World Cup.
His prior relationship with captain Gianluigi Donnarumma and key midfielder Sandro Tonali from his time as a Scudetto-winning coach of Milan might assist his case as a candidate.
Claudio Ranieri
Ranieri ceded the stage at Roma to Gian Piero Gasperini on Friday, ending his stint as interim coach to change into a supervisor and advisor to the membership’s possession. Nonetheless, he now doubtlessly has the prospect to increase a training profession spanning almost 4 a long time by taking cost of the nationwide group for the primary time.
Ranieri’s earlier foray into worldwide soccer was a catastrophe, as he lasted simply 4 video games as Greece coach in 2014. He did not win a recreation and was dismissed after a loss to Faroe Islands in qualifying for Euro 2016.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s first day at Trigoria 📸#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/Kk4VpgKUrg
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) June 6, 2025
But the 73-year-old’s inventory is excessive after his spell with Roma, whom he led to a fifth-placed end in Serie A in 2024-25, lacking out on Champions League qualification by some extent.
Persistently properly preferred by gamers all through his profession, Ranieri might assist present the emotional carry Italy clearly require.
He bid an emotional farewell after his closing residence recreation as Roma boss, nevertheless it appears there’s a robust likelihood Ranieri’s final hurrah may very well be because the chief of the Azzurri.
Outsiders
Daniele De Rossi
Roma and Italy legend De Rossi has been out of teaching since leaving the Giallorossi final September, however he might current a tempting choice as a participant who is aware of what it’s prefer to win the World Cup with Italy, having carried out so in 2006.
De Rossi grew to become the proprietor and chairman of Serie D membership Ostiamare in January, but it’s unlikely these obligations would forestall him from leaping on the likelihood to steer the nationwide group.
Gennaro Gattuso
One other member of the World Cup successful facet from 19 years in the past, Gattuso has already loved a nomadic teaching profession, working in Switzerland, Greece, France, Spain and Croatia in addition to in Italy.
The one silverware he has to point out for his time within the dugout thus far is the Coppa Italia he received with Napoli in 2020.
He left Hajduk Cut up in June, having led them to a third-placed end by which they missed out on the Croatian title by simply two factors.
Like De Rossi, there can be questions as as to whether Gattuso has the pedigree to steer his nation, whereas temperament may be seen as a priority.
Roberto Mancini
The powers that be on the FIGC may very well be forgiven for a sense of temptation concerning a return for the person who final guided them to event success.
However they’d even be clever to do not forget that Mancini famously did not safe qualification for the 2022 World Cup, struggling an notorious defeat to North Macedonia within the playoffs, and his inventory has not risen since his 2023 resignation.
Mancini had a quick and unsuccessful spell as Saudi Arabia boss, together with his most up-to-date involvement in soccer at any stage being as a marketing consultant for Sampdoria, who have been relegated from Serie B this season. Whereas Italy may yearn for the glory Mancini delivered at Wembley in 2021, they’d in all probability be higher served trying to a brand new period reasonably than attempting to recapture the previous.
Roberto De Zerbi
Although the coaches Italy who would in any other case be on the high of the FIGC’s listing are unattainable, there’s cause to assume De Zerbi may very well be prised away from Marseille.
De Zerbi adopted up his spectacular spell in command of Brighton and Hove Albion within the Premier League by main Marseille to a second-placed end in Ligue 1. Whereas they have been properly adrift of champions Paris Saint-Germain, a return to the Champions League represented a profitable season for Marseille.
Grazie mister, THANK YOU COACH! 🇮🇹
⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/9eB2pypa2E
— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) May 18, 2025
But it wasn’t a wholly clean first season in Provence for De Zerbi. There have been reviews of a participant mutiny in April after De Zerbi was stated to have refused to take coaching following a 3-1 loss to Reims. These have been subsequently dismissed by De Zerbi and ahead Neal Maupay in a press convention.
Marseille misplaced simply considered one of their final seven video games following the defeat to Reims and De Zerbi has reportedly turned down an method from Tottenham to exchange Ange Postecoglou. That might recommend De Zerbi is blissful on the Stade Velodrome, however the problem of turning Italy round and qualifying for the World Cup is likely to be a extra interesting one than the seemingly futile job of attempting to interrupt PSG’s dominance in France.
The appointment of De Zerbi appears unlikely, however it could’t be dominated out.
