Roberto Mancini resigns as Italy Manager - Luciano Spalletti takes over

[Tommy]

 

[Stan]

Another job lined up? Seems to have come out the blue...

[Tommy]

 

[Danny]

Mancini's time as head coach has to be one of the craziest stories in International football surely? People talk a lot of shit about the Italy team at the Euros when talking about how England should have won, how Southgate should have won, etc etc. But Mancini turned them into a well oiled machine, absolute monsters that tournament. Just one of the best team displays you will see in international football and to top the great football off it was built on a bed of Bonucci and Chiellini, both great defenders for Italy and actually I'm glad they won something internationally as they are I think underrated. But then everything just turned and this became a team that couldn't beat North Macedonia, such a drastic fall from grace.

Spalletti is an interesting choice, not a manager littered with silverware but he made history with Napoli last season whilst playing great football. A style of football that isn't traditionally Italian, which is the direction Italian football needs to go in. I think Italy will be coming into a strong period with a host of excellent players. Nicolo Barella was an absolute machine against Man City in the Champions League final, one of the best midfield performances I'd seen all season. Then you have Tonali, Verratti, Locatelli. That's a midfield that should perform well under Spalletti and it's probably Italy's strongest area of the pitch, we've seen with Croatia how far a strong midfield can take a team.