Italy’s search for a manager turns into a shemozzle of epic proportions

BLUE TUESDAY

What’s the Italian for omnishambles? According to Google Translate, it’s disastro totale. According to most fans, it’s Azzurri. Italy are one of the OGs of world football, a team with which a young Football Daily was obsessed as it swanned around suburbia’s meanest streets in a shimmering Diadora shirt, and we still can’t believe they have become the comedy country of world football.

Italy have failed to qualify for the last three men’s World Cups. Since winning it in 2006, the only team they’ve beaten at a World Cup is Roy Hodgson’s England. Now their search for a new manager has turned into a shemozzle of increasingly epic proportions. Pep Guardiola was offered the keys to the kingdom before confirming his decision to take at least a year off. Then Andrea Pirlo’s potential appointment fell through, reportedly because of the public backlash against his second autobiography, I Think Therefore I Shill For a Russian Betting Company. Pirlo’s hiring was reportedly vetoed by the president of the Italian football federation, which led to the technical director Paolo Maldini and his adviser Leonardo resigning from jobs that they only started three weeks ago.

The favourites for the job are now two former managers: Roberto Mancini, who won Euro 2020 with the Azzurri, and Antonio Conte, who took them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016. Italian media are already leaning towards the former, but both have to wrestle with a bit of the old cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, the Little Book of Football says you should never go back; on the other, this is the perfect time to take the job. Italian football may be a disastro totale right now – but the only way is up. If nothing else, Italy are sure to qualify for the 2030 tournament when Gianni Infantino makes it a 256-team jamboree.

Right now, the antonym of Azzurri is Les Bleus. Since their farcical World Cup in 2010, France have been the most stable team in world football. It helped that they had the same manager, Didier Deschamps, for 14 of those 16 years. The announcement of Zinedine Zidane as his replacement was the most predictable appointment of the year. In their playing days, with France and Juventus, Deschamps carried water so that Zidane could walk on it. Now he’s allowed him access to one a squad of eye-watering quality. Given Zidane’s deft management of Real Madrid’s galacticos – he won three Big Cups in a row! – it’s hard to see anything other than a smooth transition. “For me it’s a continuity, a dream,” cheered Zidane. “I had some offers during the five years I was away to take charge of a club but I turned them all down for the France team. It was the only thing I wanted to do.” If only someone, anyone, felt that way about Italy.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“No! This is wrong, everyone gets this wrong! It was my oldest brother. In Serbia it is normal for the younger brothers to take the bride to the church. That’s what I did and now everyone thinks I got married. It was Rade, not me. There are three of us – Rade is the oldest, I’m the youngest and Marko is the middle one. I keep having to explain to people that I never got married. I was going around the club when we started back and people were congratulating me. I’m like: ‘No, I’m not ready for this yet!’” – Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez reveals his lively summer break has involved correcting well-wishers who saw snaps of him escorting a bride into a church back in his hometown of Vrbas.

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double quotation markHow refreshing to read from Gianni Infantino that those of us who fear for the furture of the game should go and chill (yesterday’s Quote of the Day). No mention in his missive of the inflated ticket prices; the difficulty of using over-priced public transport to reach some of the stadiums; nor the massive profits made by Fifa from its very own re-selling site … and that’s before we hear how much total profit Fifa made to distribute to its member nations” – John Scent.

double quotation markJermain Defoe quitting/mutually consenting/getting sacked (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). There’s such a lack of clarity over what went on. You might say it’s utter Woking nonsense (insert Sean Dyche meme)” – Derek McGee.

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Derek McGee. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, has launched an investigation into Gianni Infantino, seeking documents that would detail the ties between Fifa and Donald Trump’s administration. The committee also wants Infantino to appear before Congress.

Chief refereeing officer Howard Webb has vowed to continue increasing the talent pool from under-represented communities in English football’s officiating pathway, rejecting the wider backlash against diversity initiatives. Decisions, he declared, are being “born out of quality, rather than any other aspect”.

English football will also introduce a trial through the 2026-27 season in an effort to end the goalkeeper tactical time-out. Players will also be given 10 seconds to leave the pitch when substituted.

News arrives that Chelsea appear to be pivoting in their transfer strategy – aside from the Brighton pipeline – with maverick moves for Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson (combined age: 173) on the table.

John Stones could be on his way to Inter.

Newcastle have backed out of a move for Toulouse defender Dayann Methalie, but his future still appears to lie in the north-east [careful now – Football Daily Ed], with Sunderland poised to snaffle him for £26m.

England keeper Hannah Hampton has inked her autograph on a new two-year contract with Chelsea. “When I moved to London from the Midlands, it was my first time moving away from home and everyone at Chelsea made it feel like a home away from home and somewhere I have been able to grow, not only as a player but as a person,” she roared.

Tanzania have recorded a shock opening 2-1 Wafcon win over South Africa, courtesy of solo goals from Diana Msewa and Hasnath Ubamba.

Rayo Vallecano will have to play matches away from their Vallecas home in the coming weeks after Madrid’s regional government said it was stepping in to begin urgent repairs on the stadium. An audit found problems with hygiene, health and sanitation conditions, in addition to safety issues in other areas.

Sidny Lopes Cabral has chalked up another moment to remember for Cape Verde, beating out 307 others and winning the public vote for goal of the Geopolitics World Cup with his stunner against Argentina.

And League One outfit Reading have acknowledged listing items at their online store with club badges that read “Readino Footrall Club” and “Readng”, in response to a story from the BBC. Mind you, Football Daily isn’t going to lob any stones from inside its glass hose.

STILL WANT MORE?

Marina Hyde on Gianni.

The worrying aspect for teams across Europe is that the financial gap from the Premier League to the rest may grow wider before summer is out, warns Andrew Beasley as he crunches the numbers.

Ed Aarons visits the Premier League Futures programme, which is helping former academy hopefuls build careers after being released by clubs.

Football is relentless – a permanent condition – and that is never more obvious than in the wake of the GWC, writes Leander Schaerlaeckens.

And which Portugal player is Manchester United boss Michael Carrick eyeing up? The Rumour Mill has all the latest hot transfer gossip.

MEMORY LANE

We’re going back to December 2003 and a trip behind the scenes at Wycombe Wanderers with their manager Tony Adams. The former Arsenal defender took the wheel with the Chairboys bottom of the Second Division, and striker Jermaine McSporran offering an inauspicious welcome by calling his new boss “unproven”. Adams jokingly retorted: “Jermaine McSporran, he’s on the list! When there is change there is fear. Obviously they don’t know me but that is part of the excitement.” Adams was unable to translate said excitement into success at Adams Park – they were relegated and he resigned later in 2004.

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