Finally! Italy Sack Ventura After World Cup Debacle

 

Italy have sacked their coach, Giampiero Ventura, after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia.

Ventura, 69, led the team as the Azzurris suffered a 1-0 aggregate loss to Sweden in their playoff tie and that defeat ensured that Italy miss out on the World Cup for the first time in 60 years (since the 1958 edition).

The former Napoli and Sampdoria man has now paid for that epic failure with his job.

Speaking on Italian television show Le lene earlier on Wednesday before his 17-month tenure came to an end, Ventura boasted that his record was “one of the best of the last 40 years”.

He said: “I lost only two games in two years.”

Ventura replaced current Chelsea boss Antonio Conte in June 2016 and was given a two-year contract until the end of Russia 2018 by the Italian Football Federation.

Failure to lead Italy to the World Cup prompted the federation to sack him with seven months left on his contract.