The Italian Football Federation has reportedly placed Chelsea boss Antonio Conte at the top of its wishlist to revive the Italy national side.
A two-legged aggregate defeat at the hands of Sweden means that the Azzurri will be absent from their first World Cup finals in 60 years next summer.
Under-fire manager Giampiero Ventura is clinging onto his job on the back of the qualifying debacle, but IFF chiefs are expected to swing the axe in the next 24 hours or so.
According to The Mirror, Conte will be sent an SOS call to get his national side back on track, a little over a year after leaving the job to take charge at Chelsea.
The same report suggests that fellow Italians Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Mancini - the latter of whom is currently under contract at Zenit St Petersburg - are also in the running to replace Ventura.
Conte guided Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and went on to win the Premier League title in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Daniel Lewis
