ROME (ITALPRESS) – “Leaving the Italian national team was a wrong choice that I would not make again.” This was confessed by the former Italian coach, Roberto Mancini, in a long interview with ‘Il Giornalè. “That firm relationship of trust that I had with the Federation had mutually broken down,” recounted the former Bologna and Sampdoria striker, who resigned as coach in August 2023 and was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, “but if I could go back I would face everything differently. If President Gravina and I had spoken, explained, clarified, things probably would not have gone this way. Coaching feeling that trust on your person is wavering is not a good feeling. It does not guarantee that you can work with the right serenity. In spite of this, I reproach myself for not having approached this with more clarity.” Obviously with Figc President Gravina: “Yes, between us there has always been a relationship based on great esteem and dialogue. And the time that perhaps it was necessary to speak clearly, it was not done.” In short, the choice to leave Italy and then accept Saudi Arabia’s pharaonic offer was not only economic: “I do not deny that, for a coach, the proposal of such a high amount of money, even if it is lower than the one told by the newspapers, puts you in crisis. It was not decisive, though. It affected, but it was not only because of that that I left the bench of the national team. Would I make that choice again? No, I would not do it again,” admitted the ‘Manciò, who after a European Championship won with Italy would like to put a World Cup in his trophy cabinet. The former Lazio and Inter Milan coach’s name has been recently mentioned in connection with Roma for the post-Juric era: “I was pleased to read that many Roma fans would be happy and many Lazio fans pissed off. If there were conditions for a nice project to be carried out together, I would have said yes,” Mancini concluded.- Photo Image -(ITALPRESS).
