Italy’s new coach eyes strong debut

Ventura hoping to maintain Azzurri momentum against France today

MILAN: Chelsea jokes aside, Giampiero Ventura is hoping to pick up where Antonio Conte left off when he leads a new-look Italy for the first time in a friendly against beaten Euro 2016 finalists France today.

“I want to take Antonio’s project forward,” Ventura told media Monday, a week before making his competitive debut as coach of Italy in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Israel in Haifa. “If I follow his path, then I know where to go in two years — Chelsea!”

At 68 years old and now realising a long-held dream of coaching the four-time World Cup winners, Ventura is highly unlikely to follow 46-year-old Conte’s path to Stamford Bridge.



He has more pressing concerns, namely maintaining the hopes of Italy fans and federation chiefs following a promising Euro 2016 campaign that was only ended by a dramatic quarter-final penalty shootout to Germany.

For the first time since their last World Cup triumph in 2006, Italy — who exited the past two World Cups at the first round — were feted on their return home.

For many, it proved the three consecutive titles Conte won with Italy’s strongest club, Juventus, in 2012-2014 — when Ventura was working across the city as coach of unfashionable Torino — were no fluke.



Indeed, Conte raised Italy’s profile significantly during an impressive Euro campaign and Ventura knows his will be a hard act to follow.

“It’s extremely challenging to take up his mantle,” added Ventura.

Today’s test is expected to see a possibly emotional Ventura — he began his coaching career in Bari — stick with the gameplan Conte used to such success in France, and possibly hand debuts at some point in the game to one of four squad new boys including Torino forward Andrea Belotti, who hit a hat-trick at the weekend.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2016.

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