Italy have offered Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli the chance to succeed Marcello Lippi as national team boss after the World Cup.
Lippi, 61, hinted back in March that he would step down after next month’s tournament in South Africa.
Lippi led Italy to success at the 2006 World Cup finals before stepping down and being replaced by Roberto Donadoni. However, a disappointing Euro 2008 campaign led to Donadoni being fired and Lippi returned to the role to oversee qualification for South Africa.
“Fiorentina director Andrea Della Valle has told Italian Federation president Giancarlo Abete that the decision lies with the coach,” said a club statement.
“In the interests of the team and the fans, Fiorentina ask that the situation is cleared up as soon as possible so we can plan for the future.”
Abete has always maintained that a decision on who would coach Italy in the Euro 2012 qualifiers would be made before the team travels to South Africa on 8 June, three days before the World Cup finals start.
The 52-year-old Prandelli, who has been at Fiorentina since 2005, has managed to turn around the club from being relegation strugglers into qualifiers for the Champions League.
He has also managed Parma and Roma for a brief spell before leaving to care for his sick wife who later died.
