Mancini in line for Azzurri job

Roberto Mancini has reached an agreement to become the next Italy coach, according to multiple media reports yesterday.

The Zenit St Petersburg manager met with the Italian FA sub-commissioner Alessandro Costacurta and team manager Gabriele Oriali for over two hours in Rome on Monday evening.

It was reported over the weekend that Carlo Ancelotti had turned down the job, and both Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport said yesterday that Mancini, 53, had agreed to take over and help revive the team’s fortunes.

Gazzetta said the federation had offered the former Manchester City manager a two-year contract until 2020 worth 4 million euros (US$4.8 million) a year.

“Coaching the national team would be prestigious and a source of pride for me because Italy are one of the most important teams in the world,” Mancini told Italian radio on Monday.

Mancini is expected to take over the national team after the final round of Russian domestic fixtures on May 13 and before the May 20 deadline set by the Italian FA.

Italy has been without a permanent coach since Gian Piero Ventura was fired after it failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years after losing to Sweden in a playoff in November.

Italy’s under-21 coach Luigi Di Biagio has been filling the position on an interim basis.