Ventura all set for Italy debut
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 on Thursday.
“I want to take Antonio’s project forward,” Ventura told media on 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 longheld dream of coaching the fourtime 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 quarterfinal penalty shoot-out 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, who is expected, initially at least, to keep faith with his predecessor’s preferred 3-5-2 formation.