This afternoon, Fabio Capello has spoken about the Italian national team job and who would be better for the role out of Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte.
The current situation regarding the national team manager picture is a confusing one. Conte and Allegri are probably the two best matches for the role, but both seem pretty content in their current jobs at club level.
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Regardless of that, the links to them both are not slowing down. Both Milan and Napoli will hope that they quieten, so they can plan their own steps forward, hopefully with their current coaches. But it would not be a surprise if this continued for a while yet.
Indeed, this does not seem like a short-term rumour mill.
Capello’s view on Allegri and Conte
As someone with experience in a national team setting, Capello offered his verdict on the appointment when speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport earlier today.
“What can I say, they would be two great candidates,” he starts.
Conte already knows the job…
“And for him it would be a plus point. If he returns to the blue bench, he would already know what awaits him, even if obviously the scenario has changed compared to ten years ago.”
Then we didn’t know that we would miss access to three consecutive World Cups…
“In fact. It’s practically impossible to do worse than that, we’ve hit rock bottom.”
For Allegri, the national team would be a new adventure.
“Max is a smart guy, it wouldn’t take long to understand the mechanism. But it is clear that he would need a minimum of time.”
What really changes between being the coach of a club and the selection of the national team?
“You don’t have a daily relationship with footballers. And it’s not trivial, because you have less control over what happens during the year. From injuries to the state of form of the various elements, live everything from the outside until the players are retired in Coverciano.”
Allegri has the reputation of being an excellent manager: would it be a problem for him not to live everyday life?
“I don’t think so, it would just be different. As I said, Max is smart and would quickly figure out how to get around. It is clear, however, that at the beginning it would be a novelty for him, while not for Antonio. Allegri, on the other hand, has something more in terms of communication and it is a very important aspect. In the past, Conte was on some occasions less diplomatic.”
How do you evaluate Conte’s first experience with Italy, in the biennium 2014-2016?
“Positive, he certainly made a European to the height. But there were also other players.”
Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini are no longer here.
“And there is no longer a real block of a team in the national team. In part we have that of Inter, but not as nourished as it happened in the past.”
Is it so important to have a group that comes from a single club?
“Look, it’s the first advice I would give to any national team: we need to create a player base right away, possibly focusing on blocking a national league team.”
Seeing Serie A, it doesn’t seem like an easy feat…
“I know it well, our current difficulties also come from here. The level of Italian footballers has dropped and even the clubs are struggling. So, for a recruiter the task is very complicated.”
If you were friends with Allegri or Conte, would you advise them to accept the possible offer of the national team?
“Italy’s bench is not taken or refused for mere logic of convenience. It’s something you have to feel inside, because when Mameli’s anthem starts you represent your country and you’re not simply at the service of a club like on the other benches.
“So I can’t suggest one thing or the other, it’s all strictly personal.”
You cares a lot about the national team, do you have the worry of never having coached it?
“I could, I had received the Azzurri offer. But at that moment I didn’t feel like it and so I refused.”
Did he regret it?
“No, because the national team is a matter of feeling and responsibility and if at that precise moment I didn’t feel that I could make myself available it would have been wrong to do it and accept.”
For coaches of the status of Conte or Allegri would it be a risk to take over the position?
“Then we didn’t understand each other, the reasoning to be made is whether they feel the fire inside to raise the blues or not. And therefore carry the weight of responsibility. Although, let me say, worse than what we have seen in recent years would be difficult to do.”
Then we didn’t know that we would miss access to three consecutive World Cups…
“In fact. It’s practically impossible to do worse than that, we’ve hit rock bottom.”
Oh it is possible to do worse than that. Could miss 4 world cups in a row
Not in a 12-year timespan though. Only if we widen the span to 16 years. Wow. 16 years without WC. That would really be something… :/
If the FIGC are considering Conte and Allegri it shows they have no idea why Calcio is in the mess it’s in
Gattuso played weak teams except Norway which
it showed he could not compete with strong team.
Conte in 2014-2016 was playing against strong team
like: france, spain, germany and he should have wan
the european cup. so, if conte want the job he should go for it.
Even Conte would think twice about taking up this seat with the current crop of Italian talent.
The country’s footballers are just not up to spec right now. A good coach can only do so much with the rotten ingredients at their disposal.