FIGC President Giancarlo Abete insists the method of Roberto Donadoni’s departure from the Italy bench was “normal.”
Although Donadoni signed a new contract until 2010 only weeks before the start of Euro 2008, the failure to get past the quarter-finals proved fatal for his international career.
“This was quite simply the natural end of the contract,” assured Abete. “There was no sacking or cutting off of this working relationship.”
There was a clause in the deal ensuring both parties could terminate the contract by mutual consent within 10 days of the end of the tournament.
This week the FIGC formally announced Donadoni was leaving and would be replaced by Marcello Lippi.
It was a decision that had circulated in the Italian media for months, but again Abete maintains the Federation did not handle the situation badly by dangling the 2006 World Cup winner over Donadoni’s head.
“We simply made a different choice for the future. The fact Lippi’s shadow hung over Donadoni seems entirely normal and inevitable to me.”
Lippi will hold his first Press conference on Tuesday afternoon in Rome.
