"I hope Pirlo can deliver the desired results, knowing that this is a journey. He, moreover, has his own path as a coach and I hope he can further develop it." This was stated by the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, on Sky TG24. "The pitch will tell us whether this was a gamble or a far-sighted choice," he added. "I remain the number one supporter of the manager and the national team, which for me is the team of my heart." Then, on Pep Guardiola's 'no' to the national team: "I don't know if he really considered it. He and Pirlo seem like such distant alternatives from each other that without a certainty of a yes, I would have kept the Guardiola option under wraps."
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