Carlo in line for the Italian job

– Italian football federation (FIGC) chiefs yesterday confirmed talks had taken place with Carlo Ancelotti (above) concerning the vacant Italy coaching job but insisted there was no front-runner yet.

Ancelotti, who was sacked by Bayern Munich last September, met with FIGC commissioner Roberto Fabbricini and sub-commissioner Alessandro Costacurta in a Rome hotel on Monday.

It was reported the 58-year-old has been offered a two-year contract, with the only sticking point financial terms which would be less lucrative than his previous deal with the German champions.

But Fabbricini insisted the meeting was not an official one. “Ancelotti has a fairly serious family problem, and that’s why he was in Rome,” Fabbricini told Italian radio.

“Costacurta, having a strong friendship with Ancelotti, met him and I also took part in that meeting.

“We talked about a future scenario though, but we still have a coach (Luigi Di Biagio) under contract.

“I don’t think a coach can a priori rule out a prestigious job like leading Italy. The Azzurri bench is always an objective for any coach.

“No-one is in pole, we want to respect the date of May 20 because the national team will play on May 28 (friendly against Saudi Arabia).”

Italy have been without a permanent coach since Gian Piero Ventura was sacked after the fourtime champions failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years after losing to Sweden in a two-legged play-off in November.

Italy’s Under-21 coach Di Biagio has been filling the position on an interim basis. – AFP