Spalletti and the national team, a marriage that everyone (or almost) wants to do. I am hectic hours in via Allegri to be able to finally close with the former Napoli coach, chosen for several days now as the designated heir of the outgoing Mancini, who left the Azzurri orphaned of his leadership less than a month from the double and decisive match against Macedonia and Ukraine on the road leading to the 2024 European Championships, which the Italy cannot afford to miss out after the humiliation of not qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar. Indeed, after the many chats of recent days, today there should be a decisive confrontation between the president Gravina and the coachcertainly honored to have been chosen as the future coach of the national team, but also burned by the whole case linked to the 3 million euro clause that De Laurentiis claims to free him, as per the contract signed when he left Naples.
After these three days spent studying the papers, listening to legal opinions and making personal considerations, the comparison will be decisive in being able to understand which path to take. Clearly the situation of the clause has made the national team’s approach more problematic and the coach’s soul more tormented. The hope, after all, is that we can still avoid the dispute between Spalletti and the Campania company itself. The FIGC, theoretically extraneous to the affair, will in any case not only leave its coach and will support the coach’s defense also with its own lawyers. Obviously they will try to do everything to avoid a legal dispute, a complicated prospect in any case (also because although formally it would be Spalletti against De Laurentiis, it would soon turn into a FIGC against Naples), but in any case there is no doubt about the choice. Spalletti and Gravina will shake hands, if not in person at least metaphorically, and reach an agreement that will make the former Napoli coach the next. The only way to blow up this marriage is precisely the consequences that there could be going to violate the clause. In short, only lawyers (or nefarious scenarios) can separate Spalletti and Italy. From Monday, therefore, he already sees himself ready to dive into the new adventure and prepare for the two challenges of 9 September against Macedonia (yes, the national team that eliminated us from the World Cup) and 12 against Ukraine (to be played in San Syrian).
Spallettias was foreseen for Mancini, he should also keep the role of coordinator of the two main Unders, 21 and 20while the composition of the coach’s staff, which should include the trusted ones, will have to be defined in detail Marco Domenichinihis deputy, the athletic trainer Francesco Sinattiand a technical assistant between Daniele Baldini and Alessandro Pane, or maybe both. Instead, the latest federal additions have been confirmed: Andrea Barzagliwho will take care of the defensive phase, e Antonio Gagliardi, the tactician. Buffon has obviously been confirmed as the head of delegation. To evaluate the positions of the team manager, Lele Oriali, and of Alberto Bollini, in the management of Mancini designated assistant coach. All details that will be sorted out in the next few hours, pending the wedding that all of Italy is waiting for.
