In the wake of a devastating early exit from World Cup qualification that has sent shockwaves through Italian soccer, the Italian Football Federation has confirmed that 66-year-old Silvio Baldini, currently the manager of Italy’s Under-21 national side, will serve as caretaker head coach of the senior men’s team for two upcoming away friendly fixtures scheduled for next month.
The federation made the interim appointment official this past Friday, exactly 10 days after Italy secured its latest disappointing result that ruled it out of the upcoming World Cup tournament. This marks the third consecutive major World Cup finals that the four-time world champion Italian side will miss, a historic low for a program once considered unbeatable on the global stage.
The devastating elimination came via a tense penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina, a result that triggered immediate resignations from two of the top figures in Italian soccer: federation president Gabriele Gravina and incumbent senior head coach Gennaro Gattuso. With the federation leadership in transition, the governing body turned to Baldini to steady the side through the upcoming June friendly matches. Baldini will lead the Azzurri for an away clash against Luxembourg on June 3, followed by a second away fixture against Greece four days later.
A permanent appointment for the senior head coaching role will not be finalized until a new federation president is selected, following scheduled leadership elections set for June 22.
Early speculation has already positioned Napoli manager Antonio Conte as the clear frontrunner for the permanent job. Conte previously led the Italian national team at the UEFA European Championship roughly a decade ago, and has a long track record of success at both the club and international level. Other high-profile managers cited as potential candidates include former Italy boss Roberto Mancini, Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi, and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.