Mancini given the Italian job

– Zenit St-Petersburg manager Roberto Mancini (above) has agreed to become the next Italy coach after accepting a big pay cut to take the job, according to reports yesterday.

Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the 53-year-old Italian has agreed a two-year deal worth €2 million a year which will be penned after the end of the Russian season which wraps up on Sunday.

Zenit are fifth in the Russian Premier League, 10 points behind already-crowned champions Lokomotiv Moscow with one match left.

The Russian club are reportedly reluctant to let Mancini leave and the Italian federation does not want to pay any compensation to release him from his contract.

Mancini joined the Russian club last year on a three-year deal thought to be worth €4.5m a year.

The annual budget for the future Italy coach and his backroom staff has been fixed at €5m.

Italy have been without a permanent coach since Gian Piero Ventura was sacked after they missed out on the World Cup for the first time in 60 years after losing to Sweden in November.

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

Mancini led Manchester City to their first English league title in 44 years in 2012, and won three Serie A titles with Inter Milan. He also won Italian Cups with Inter, Fiorentina and Lazio.

Mancini wants to bring back Mario Balotelli and will ask goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon to play against the Netherlands for a farewell appearance in Turin on June 4. – AFP