Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 6y

Carlo Ancelotti fails to rule out possibility of becoming Italy boss

Carlo Ancelotti has appeared to backtrack on his refusal to become the new Italy coach, saying he will not "exclude the possibility."

Ancelotti recently confirmed that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) had contacted him about succeeding Gian Piero Ventura as Italy boss, but said that he had turned down the approach as he would prefer to manage another club next season.

The former Bayern Munich coach, who was dismissed by the Bavarians earlier this season, appeared to revise that stance a little on Tuesday night, however.

As a pundit on Mediaset's Champions League show, Ancelotti said that coaching Italy's national team is always a possibility.

"The decision depends on me and also the federation," he said. "It's not certain that the federation only want me as the next Italy coach. I'd prefer to coach a club again, but I won't exclude the possibility of coaching the national team one day. One thing is for certain: I won't be coaching again until June."

With Italy failing to qualify for next summer's World Cup, they have no official fixtures until next autumn, meaning the FIGC could afford to wait for Ancelotti.

That is what Roma captain Daniele De Rossi hopes will happen as he looks forward to the opportunity to work under a coach he says he has always admired.

"It would be important, after the huge disappointment of the World Cup, if we start over with one of the most successful coaches in the world and with a fresh face like his, considering how everybody loves him," he told Mediaset.

Ancelotti then confirmed that he had tried to sign De Rossi in the past "but it was always impossible to lure him away from Rome."

The Roma midfielder joked that there was an ulterior motive behind Ancelotti's attempts to sign him.

"He wanted me because he wanted to coach Roma, and maybe he just didn't want to have me at the Giallorossi when he arrived," De Rossi said after helping his club seal their qualification for the round of 16 of the Champions League.

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