Former Italy boss Arrigo Sacchi claims “the masterstroke of Antonio Conte fooled Carlo Tavecchio into appointing Giampiero Ventura.”
FIGC chief Tavecchio was praised for bringing in Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, but is now facing calls to step down from his position.
However, Sacchi believes the Azzurri’s problems lie deeper than the President and Ventura after their failure to qualify for the World Cup, even if he disagreed with the 69-year-old’s appointment.
Former Italy boss Arrigo Sacchi claims “the masterstroke of Antonio Conte fooled Carlo Tavecchio into appointing Giampiero Ventura.”
FIGC chief Tavecchio was praised for bringing in Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, but is now facing calls to step down from his position.
However, Sacchi believes the Azzurri’s problems lie deeper than the President and Ventura after their failure to qualify for the World Cup, even if he disagreed with the 69-year-old’s appointment.
“Football in Italy’s in mourning: after 60 years, we won’t be at a World Cup,” the ex-Milan Coach told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’m so sorry about today, but it could lead to a better future tomorrow. In any way, we’ll need to take a long hard look at ourselves so we can make everything that isn’t working much clearer.
“However, if we’d been less presumptuous and more direct sooner, we would’ve already been warned by 2010 and 2014 would’ve.
“Instead, rather than solving our problems, we’ve always used a scapegoat, in this case the CT or the President, and everything will remain as before.
“Tavecchio started his presidency with the masterstroke of Conte, and that perhaps fooled him into thinking he could do the same again with Ventura, a good Coach with a long and dignified career but never a top one.
“It wouldn’t be right to talk about the CT. Our problems are deep-rooted, hidden through the years by the ability of certain Coaches, competitive spirit of the players or quality of individuals.
“This time, however, that spirit was only seen in our last match, in a confused way.”