CT Italia, a shocking about-face: 4 alternatives to Andrea Pirlo

After Pep Guardiola’s refusal, it seemed all but certain that Andrea Pirlo would be named head coach of the Italian national team, but in the last few hours, the matter has been put on hold. There are three main reasons: Pirlo’s ties to a Russian sponsor, his son’s role as his agent, and Giovanni Malagò’s doubts.

The new FIGC president gave Paolo Maldini and Leonardo free rein to choose the head coach, but he did not expect the decision to be Andrea Pirlo, and he appears to be far from convinced. Several politicians have also raised doubts about the appointment of the 2006 World Cup champion.

Among them, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi stands out: “Gambles are always risky, so we must also try to make choices that make logical sense, and only the field will ultimately decide whether this gamble is a forward-thinking choice, given that the agreement is expected to last four years,” he stated.

Should the Andrea Pirlo plan fall through, there could be four alternatives: Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, Stefano Pioli, and Raffaele Palladino. The first would allow the FIGC to save a lot of money and is already familiar with the system; the second could bring many people back to the national team.

Pioli and Palladino are two possible outsiders: the Parma coach is without a team following his departure from Fiorentina, while the other was let go by Atalanta, which chose to replace him with Maurizio Sarri.