We already know all the problems of the Italian national team, which naturally reflect what is happening in Serie A, and we also know that several areas need to change. One of them is the national team manager, who is currently Gattuso. He came in to bring mentality and dedication, but he falls short in several other aspects.
Against Bosnia and Northern Ireland, Gattuso made poor decisions and that comes from something that seems deeply rooted in the mindset of those who run Italian clubs and the national team itself: not trusting young players. They always choose experience and then still ask why the country does not have a strong generation and is already killing the next one. Why not give more time to Palestra, who only played 6 minutes against Northern Ireland? Why not give Scalvini game time? Why not even call up Kayode?
He does not use the youngsters during the match, but then, in the penalty shootout, he has no hesitation in putting Pio Esposito in as the first taker. It is unbelievable. Can you imagine the pressure he felt? That is exactly what experienced players are supposed to be there for: to take responsibility in those moments. So one of the easiest ways to start fixing the problem is to sack Gattuso, who is a limited manager.
As options, you have Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte and Allegri. Guardiola’s name is being mentioned, but let’s be serious: zero chance. Italy today is not a top-level national team to the point where it can attract someone like him. They can sound him out, but it is not realistic.
With Gravina potentially leaving the federation, Mancini gains strength, especially because he does not have a good relationship with him. He is currently at Al-Sadd in Qatar and he seems like a very realistic option to me. Conte, who is at Napoli, is a good manager, but he has one clear issue: he does not value the Champions League that highly and, in general, knockout competitions do not really seem to be his strongest area. I do not see him as the best option for short-format tournaments like the Euros or the Nations League. Allegri is very unlikely to leave Milan and he is an extremely pragmatic manager. Does it work? More often than not, yes. But he excites nobody.
Conclusion
Forget Guardiola, it is not realistic. The best option, within what is actually possible, is Mancini. Conte does not really have the ideal profile for knockout football, Allegri is too pragmatic and Mancini, even though he is at Al-Sadd, could still be attracted by the national team. Money matters, of course, but a national team like Italy still carries a different kind of appeal.
Gattuso’s time is already over. He is limited and that is only holding back even more a generation that was already coming through with problems.