Looks like the Azzurri will be looking for Lippi's predecessor. 

"Candidates to take over include Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli, former Inter Coach Roberto Mancini, ex-Roma tactician Luciano Spalletti and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti."

Your thoughts?


www.football-italia.net/nov16v.html

Wow, this was interesting .. after I posted my comment I found this article on football italia .. could I be onto something ?

Mancini reveals his Italy XI     
Tuesday 17 November, 2009
Former Inter, Lazio and Fiorentina Coach Roberto Mancini has revealed the XI players he would select if he were in charge of Italy.

The 44-year-old recently decided to rescind his contract with Inter just over a year after being sacked by Massimo Moratti.

Mancini is still without a job and would be one of the frontrunners to take over from Marcello Lippi, if the World Cup winner steps down next summer.

Interviewed on Italian TV show Le Iene, Mancini named his XI as Buffon; Zambrotta, Nesta, Barzagli, Grosso; Pirlo, De Rossi, Gattuso, Cassano; Totti, Toni.

Interestingly, Mancini differs with Lippi in that he would prefer Barzagli to Cannavaro.

There is also no room for Cannavaro's Juventus team-mate Giorgio Chiellini.

But perhaps most important of all is Mancini's decision to include Antonio Cassano, the Sampdoria fantasista, who has so far been ignored by Lippi during his second stint in charge of La Nazionale.

Cassano has become something of a cause célèbre among the Italian people.

A fan got on the pitch during Italy's friendly with Holland on Saturday and showed off his T-Shirt on which was printed: “Cassano in the national team.”