Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is being lined up as a potential replacement for Roberto Mancini as the next head coach of the Italy national team.
According to Fichajes, Italy are on the lookout for a new manager following their failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup later this year and have identified Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti as a potential candidate.
Italy initially made a lot of progress under Roberto Mancini after missing the boat for the World Cup in 2018. The Azzurri went on to win the UEFA Euro 2020 last year, beating England in the finals at the Wembley Stadium. A lot was expected from them heading into the World Cup Qualifiers.
However, Italy failed to achieve a safe passage through to the biggest football tournament in world football directly through the qualifying campaign and entered the playoff stages, hoping to book a place for the event in Qatar later this year. But a shock defeat to North Macedonia earlier this week meant that Italy would fail to feature in the World Cup for the second time in a row.
Following the debacle, Mancini’s future as the national team manager has been called into question. And, it seems like the Italian FA is already scouring the market for replacements for the former Manchester City boss. And, as per the report, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has emerged as a potential candidate to take over from his compatriot.
Roberto Mancini on his future as Italy head coach: “We will see. Now I feel too disappointed to speak about my future, we will see”, he told Rai Sport. ? #Italy
“I’m sure this team has a great future. I’m supporting these players now more than ever”. pic.twitter.com/bwXAC4uK2f
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 24, 2022
Ancelotti is one of the most decorated managers of all time and has tasted success almost everywhere he has managed. Having returned to Real Madrid last year after a mediocre spell at Everton, the former AC Milan head coach seems set to lead Los Blancos to the La Liga title in the ongoing campaign.
Despite that, Ancelotti’s future is uncertain, with pressure mounting on the ex-PSG boss after Real Madrid suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu. Club president Florentino Perez is already looking at other options to take over from the Italian, with Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino among those being considered.
Should Real Madrid decide to change things up, it could free up Ancelotti to move into the Italian national team hot-seat in the summer. Apart from him, the Azzurri are also looking at the pairing of Marcelo Lippi and Fabio Cannavaro to replace Mancini. Any move for Ancelotti would largely depend on whether Real Madrid opt to relieve him of his duties at the end of the season.
