As Ian Hawkey explores the changed landscape of international football management, here he picks the five most high profile manager changes in national team positions.
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Argentina: Edgardo Bauza
Bauza, 58, takes over after another silver medal for Argentina, this summer’s Copa America frustration following the runners-up spot at the 2014 World Cup. Bauza has at least heard Lionel Messi revoke his June decision to retire from internationals. A chief task for Bauza is to make Messi enjoy and thrive in international football the way he does at Barcelona.
Belgium: Roberto Martinez
Martinez, 43, has a fame for flowing, attacking football, a reputation he gained in English club football. He takes over a Belgium that have, among their so-called “golden generation” of players, many men who should respond favourably to that. What he must do first is to clear the hangover of Euro 2016, where Belgium were less than the sum of their gifted parts.
England: Sam Allardyce
Another summer, another punch to the bruised body of the England national team’s self-esteem. Bundled out of Euro 2016 by Iceland, England have appointed an apparently down-to-earth manager with little experience outside the domestic English game and a — probably unfair — notoriety for direct football. But Allardyce, 61, is shrewd and has some fine young talent to work with.
Italy: Giampiero Ventura
Ventura, 68, is at the end of a long career in management and apparently very different to his fiery predecessor, Antonio Conte, who is now at Chelsea. Conte took what critics called the least talented Italy squad for 30 years to the last eight of Euro 2016. Ventura has that to build on, and his seasoned eye as a spotter of talent to use to try and improve the resources available to the Italian national team.
Spain: Julen Lopetegui
Spain have gone for an element of continuity to try and arrest a decline in which they have dropped from holding both the World Cup and the European Championship, in 2014, to also-rans in the most recent editions of both events. Lopetegui, 50, was a success in charge of Spain’s age-group teams so knows the generation of players with whom he needs to rebuild Spain’s confidence.
