The Zenit coach, Roberto Mancini, has already met with the vice president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Alessandro Costacurta, to agree on his appointment as the new coach of the Azzurri squad.
"Costacurta met with Mancini to discuss the details about his future work with the Italian national football team," a spokesperson for the Italian federation told the Russian official agency RIA Novosti.
Mancini, who has been in charge of Zenit for less than a year, has given his approval to take charge of Italy, negotiations that will be closed once the Russian league finishes on May 13.
For weeks, the Russian press has already taken for granted that the Italian coach will soon leave the team from the former imperial capital, which with two rounds left of the championship is fourth and out of the Champions League spots.
Despite the team's poor results - losing at home to Krasnodar and a goalless draw against CSKA - the Italian has made several trips to his country in recent weeks, which has fueled all the rumors.
Mancini himself stated a few days ago that he is not interested in Zenit's money, which led some media to report the coach's impending resignation.
The Zenit's fiasco does not seem to have affected Mancini, a league champion with Manchester City and Inter Milan, nor has it discouraged the Italian football leaders who are looking for an experienced specialist to get their team out of the crisis. (EFE)