Inter and Italy Start to Replace Bergomi
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Giuseppe Baresi is the new interim Inter Milan manager.
It's all come crumbling down rather fast for Inter Milan. After the ban from football on Giuseppe Bergomi for being heavily involved in a match-fixing scandal that has apparently helped the Nerazzurri win multiple Scudetti, Coppa Italia, and even potentially European trophies, some Inter players have also come under investigation, currently unnamed.
Bergomi, as well as the the rest of the Inter Milan club, continue to deny all such allegations, even though the courts have officially ruled against them. Multiple appeals have been lodged and are under consideration, but the club is set to be relegated to at least the Serie C1 at the end of the season, along with other sanctions.
However, the club still needs a manager, and Bergomi, sadly for Nerazzurri fans, is now banned from football altogether. Following alleged talks between Bergomi and club chairman Massimo Moratti shortly before Bergomi's forced resignation, it seems as though the club has decided on a policy to promote from within, using personnel who know Bergomi's tactics well. Thus, long time assistant manager and ex-player Giuseppe Baresi has been handed the reigns at Inter on an 'interim' basis, though he is likely to keep the job.
"This hopefully is not permanent," said Baresi in his revealing press conference. "Once Beppe [Bergomi] has been cleared of these wrong charges, he will return to this job, where he belongs. Until then, I am looking forward to leading this great team."
On the international stage, things look hectic as well. Italy has been cleared by FIFA of match-fixing, but Bergomi is nonetheless banned from managing at this level as well. The Italian FA has yet to move to hire a successor and has been put in a very difficult situation, with the FIFA World Cup in Russia just six months away. Whoever comes into the Italy job will have a difficult job preparing in time.
Athletic Bilbao manager Roberto Donadoni, the 63 cap ex-Italy international who led Parma to an astonishing third place finish last season, is the odds on favorite to land the job, despite having only been with Bilbao for a matter of months. Antonio Conte, also an ex-Italy international, is also a heavy contender, achieving great success with both Juventus and now Arsenal.
The appeal date is December 30th, and so as the new year comes about and 2018 is upon us, so will be the final verdict on Giuseppe Bergomi and this awful match-fixing scandal.