Either Spalletti or Conte. Two floors A. And if the federal president, Gabriele Gravina, has decided to focus immediately on Luciano, Antonio didn’t flinch. He understood the initial preference and made himself available anyway. In the event that Spalletti does not free himself from De Laurentiis (impossible for the president to make a beau geste, for the simple reason that he is not capable of it), Conte will again take the reins of the national team. The former Juventus player and former Inter player was a gentleman, he knows that he would never be a second choice, but he accepted that precedence goes to his older colleague. As if all the rest weren’t enough, Gravina, who is described as “surprised and sorry” for Mancini’s betrayalmust now deal with the non competition agreement contained in the termination clause stipulated at the time of farewell of Spalletti to Naples.
Pro Spalletti there are those who say that a non-compete agreement, in the sports field, cannot be applied for an employment contract with a national team. Against Spallettiresists the branch of those who argue that non-competition can be extended to all activities. Few, very few remember the time when a young Luciano paid out of his own pocket to get rid of the Pozzos – he was at Udinese – and marry in Rome. Here, among many, I would be least surprised if Spalletti returned the 3.5 million that De Laurentiis gave him or he should give him for the sabbatical year and go to coach to the applause of an amazed nation.
As I already had the opportunity to write in this morning’s Reveille, Spalletti has only one word and is willing to go even against his own interests to honor it. For sure the money that De Laurentiis demands cannot be put by the Football Federation. The problem is that time is running out and that by the end of the week a decision must be made. Gravina is at work, but her mood isn’t the best. He had planned the next four years with Mancini, he had decided that the coach would also be the coordinator of the Under 21 and Under 20 teams, he had confirmed all his collaborators (except Evani, his deputy, among other things the name chosen by Mancini), some of which, very probably, have already signed the renewal of the contract. Until the departure for Mykonos (where Mancini is on vacation) nothing foreshadowed the tear.
On Friday, however, Gravina and Mancini – friends also outside the professional sphere – met and the coach told them that his motivation was failing. The president asked him to think about it also because in a week there would be pre-calls for the qualifying matches for the European Championship. Silence on Saturday, the bomb went off in the early afternoon of Sunday, when the Pec arrived from Greece, written and signed in his own hand by Mancini, in which the coach resigned. Thus the dream of winning the World Cup for Mexico, Canada and the United States, a purpose reaffirmed by Mancini after Spain-Italy in the Nations League, was shipwrecked in the blue sea of August. Like the worst of summer escapades.