The newspaper of Italy, seen from abroad
La Veduta — giornale di idee, cultura e affari
Inaugural Edition № 1
Back to the edition

SPORT

Italy's caretaker manager attacks 'scammers' as Azzurri rebuild after World Cup collapse

Baldini warns against unrealistic managerial targets as nation confronts failure to qualify for summer tournament

Tobia Marenghi1,198 wordsEdition4Thursday, 4 June 2026 — Edition № 4

Italy's caretaker manager has taken aim at what he describes as 'scammers' in the football world while warning the nation to abandon dreams of hiring Pep Guardiola or Cesc Fabregas as permanent coach, according to FOX Sports. The comments came as the Azzurri met for the first time under the interim leadership following Italy's failure to qualify for the summer World Cup. The manager's blunt assessment reflects the depth of crisis facing Italian football after a humiliating elimination from the qualifying campaign.

The interim manager's criticism of unrealistic managerial targets suggests frustration with the gap between Italian football's ambitions and its current resources or appeal. The mention of Guardiola, the Manchester City manager widely regarded as one of the world's best, and Fabregas, the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder now involved in coaching, underscores the scale of Italy's aspirations. Yet the caretaker's dismissal of such possibilities indicates he believes the Italian federation must focus on more achievable solutions to its problems.

Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup represents a catastrophic outcome for a nation with a rich football history and four World Cup titles to its name. The qualifying campaign's collapse has left Italian football searching for answers about what went wrong and how to rebuild. The interim manager's appointment suggests the federation is taking a measured approach, allowing time to assess the situation before committing to a permanent successor.

Share
Italy's caretaker manager attacks 'scammers' as Azzurri rebuild after World Cup collapse — La Veduta