Gian Piero Ventura wishes Italy successor well
ByPA Sport
Published 17/11/2017 at 14:54 GMT
Gian Piero Ventura has wished his eventual successor as Italy manager well and insists there was no one reason for the surprise failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia.
Carlo Ancelotti, pictured, could succeed Gian Piero Ventura as Italy boss
Image credit: PA Sport
The 69-year-old was sacked two days after the Azzurri were held to a goalless draw by Sweden in Milan, a result that saw the Scandinavians win a European play-off 1-0 on aggregate to reach next year's finals.
As the dust settles on what the Italian press called an "apocalypse", reports are emerging that former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is the first choice to replace Ventura.
Whoever gets the job, Ventura will remain an ardent supporter of the national team.
He told Ansa: "The defeats, especially the most painful ones, cannot be explained with one reason.
"I will be the team's biggest fan and I hope my successor can restore Italy to where they deserve to be. These have been, and are, difficult days of deep disappointment.
"I felt incomplete at the moment our failure to qualify was confirmed.
"Leading the national team brought me a great sense of pride I'd never experienced before and I will never have that feeling again.
"I worked hard, giving it everything I could with seriousness and professionalism - I didn't manage to do what I was convinced I could do, with a group of lads who I will never be able to stop thanking."
Ventura, who had been under contract until 2020, declined to resign in the immediate aftermath of the match, leaving veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to face the television cameras after full-time.
A journeyman coach who had most recently spent five years in charge of Torino, he took over from Antonio Conte following their penalty shoot-out defeat to Germany in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
He had to get the better of Spain to secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, though, a task which proved too tough as Italy finished the group five points behind their rivals.
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