Italian football journalist David Ferrini: Spalletti’s departure is no surprise, not after the run of inconsistent results. The Euros loss to Switzerland was embarrassing, the Nations League debacle against Germany fuelled criticisms, and the lack of cohesion in Norway was the final straw.
The Federation was expecting stability with his appointment, but all the telltale signs of instability surfaced when Roberto Mancini was still in charge.
The lack of identity in the Italian national team is nothing new. Italy’s reputation as a world football power suffered a blow in South Africa and died in Brazil. While Antonio Conte worked wonders to get Italy competitive again at the highest level, the Gian Piero Ventura tenure did untold damage.
For the first time in generations, Italian players began to doubt themselves, even against lesser sides. Making matters worse, the size of the player selection pool is at record-low levels. At times, Roberto Mancini resorted to calling up players from Serie B. He’d repeatedly complained that there weren’t enough Italians playing first-tier football.
Any incoming manager is going to find it extremely difficult, even Spalletti who is renowned for being an exceptional development coach. If he can’t improve things, then who really can? If he’s been told by the Federation that he’s being replaced, then we can only assume they’ve got a plan.
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