ROME (AP) — Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini will take charge of the senior national team for next month’s friendly internationals.
The appointment of Baldini as interim coach was announced on Friday, 10 days after Italy again failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Italy’s penalty shootout loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina — which meant the four-time champion will miss a third consecutive World Cup — led to the resignations of Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso.
The 67-year-old Baldini will step up for the matches against Luxembourg on June 3 and Greece four days later. Both are away matches.
A new permanent coach will most likely be decided after Gravina’s replacement is appointed, with elections called for June 22.
Napoli coach Antonio Conte, who already led Italy at the European Championship a decade ago, is favored to return.
Others being mentioned are Roberto Mancini, Simone Inzaghi and Massimiliano Allegri.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Then-Catania's coach Silvio Baldini arrives at the Comunale stadium in Bergamo prior to the start the Italian Serie A first division soccer match between Atalanta and Catania, in Bergamo, Italy, Saturday, March 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro, File)
FILE - Then-Catania coach Silvio Baldini, centre right, celebrates with his players after winning the Italy Cup soccer match between Catania and Udinese, at the Massimino stadium in Catania, Italy, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Tano Pecoraro, File)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When the season ended, and when his team's reign as NBA champions ended along with it, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tipped his cap.
The Oklahoma City guard — the back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player — was great in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. The San Antonio Spurs were greater. And that meant there won't be a repeat champion in the NBA this year.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and was his normal brilliant self with an array of mid-range scores, paint attacks, even stepbacks over San Antonio's 7-foot-4 wall named Victor Wembanyama. It wasn't enough and Gilgeous-Alexander made no excuses.
“So many things go into it," Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about the difficulty of winning a championship — and trying to go back-to-back. "Sometimes it’s like things you can’t control, sometimes it’s things you can control. Yeah, it’s a hard task to do one time, so to do it twice will only make it even more challenging.”
The Thunder played all season to have home-court advantage in Game 7 and got it by two games, winning 64 to San Antonio's 62. But the Spurs beat the Thunder four out of five in the regular season, then got four more out of seven in the West finals. And Oklahoma City, to be fair, was not at its best — with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out with injuries.
“Not to make any excuses, but they’re a really good team over there," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And losing Ajay and Dub the way we did in the midst of a series, you would think it would be a lot harder for us.”
Oklahoma City looks like a team that is built to contend for years. So, too, do the Spurs. A rivalry seems very much born.
“Yeah, they’re young, they're talented, well-coached," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the makeup, for sure. You don’t beat us without the makeup and they beat us. They have the makeup to go get one.”
The Thunder will have some roster decisions to make and have multiple first-round picks to either use to add talent — or perhaps combine in a trade if they want to move up for a chance to draft a specific person.
Those decisions aren't for Gilgeous-Alexander to make. Canada is hoping he'll play a little bit of World Cup qualifying this summer — basketball's next World Cup is in 2027 — and he'll be looking to add to his game, as elite players always do.
“We just have to take it one day at a time from here on out,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Try to get better this summer, be a better team than we were this season — and try to get back over the hump.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) battles for a loose ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks to pass the ball as San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle defends during the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walks back to the team bench during the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs, series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, center, talks with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) as Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault looks on during the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
