Prominent former Coaches of the Azzurri have mixed reactions to Antonio Conte's crisis talks with the Italian Football Federation.
The Coach of the Italian national team is currently in talks with FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio, apparently over his future in the role amid Serie A’s clubs refusing to fully co-operate with releasing players for a planned training camp this month.
Prominent former Coaches of the Azzurri have mixed reactions to Antonio Conte's crisis talks with the Italian Football Federation.
The Coach of the Italian national team is currently in talks with FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio, apparently over his future in the role amid Serie A’s clubs refusing to fully co-operate with releasing players for a planned training camp this month.
A vast number of tacticians who coached the Azzurri in previous eras have commented on this prospect for La Repubblica, as reported by Calciomercato.com.
“A Coach knows what lies ahead of him,” said Azeglio Vicini, who led Totó Schillaci's team to a third place in the 1990 World Cup.
“Conte should not throw away the good things he has done. In his place, I would stay.”
“Conte is a maestro, we don't have that many,” said Arrigo Sacchi, who headed the team in the 1994 World Cup. “But in Italy people are always afraid and selfishness prevails.”
“The clubs have the last word, like 20 years ago,” said Cesare Maldini, quarter-finalist in the 2002 World Cup. “You can ask, but the Lega [Calcio] decides. He should resign himself to that, we've all been through it.”
“We all worked like this,” confirmed Dino Zoff, who was runner-up at Euro 2000. “Conte must decide which side to pick.”
“It's a snake biting its tail,” said Giovanni Trapattoni, Coach from 2000 to 2004. “The clubs are in it for the business.
“But resigning is just a provocation.”
“Nobody does the training camps, the real question are the dates,” said Marcello Lippi, World Champion in 2006. “But Conte is a serious person, and he has a commitment.”
Finally, Euro 2008 veteran Roberto Donadoni gave his opinion.
“I was the first to call for an early start [to the season], it's just common sense. But the logic of 'each to his own' prevails”.