Serie A: Former Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura appointed coach of struggling Chievo Verona

Milan: Former Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura has been appointed coach of struggling Chievo following Lorenzo D’Anna’s sacking, the Serie A club confirmed on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_5352711” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Gian Piero Ventura. Reuters[/caption] Ventura has been out of work since being fired as Italy coach after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years last November. “Gian Piero Ventura is the new coach of Chievo,” the club said in a statement, wishing the veteran “a big good luck for the work to be done”. The 70-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the club from Verona who are bottom of Serie A with -1 points after being deducted three points last month for false accounting. Ventura has a long coaching career at club level in Italy with teams including Napoli, Sampdoria, Udinese and Hellas Verona. He established his reputation during a five-year spell with Torino from 2011, leading the club back into Serie A and nurturing stars such as Ciro Immobile, before his surprise appointment as Italy coach in July 2016. His first game will be against Atalanta at home on 21 October after the international break. D’Anna, a former Chievo captain who took over from Rolando Maran last April, was sacked after the club fell 3-1 to AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday — their sixth defeat out of eight games this season. He helped Chievo finish 13th and avoid relegation with three straight wins at the end of last season.