Luciano Spalletti has ruled himself out of the running to become Italy's next head coach and backed Carlo Ancelotti for the role.
The Azzurri are searching for a new man to take charge after Gian Piero Ventura was sacked following the national team's failure to qualify for next year's World Cup.
Italy will not be present at Russia 2018 after losing out in a two-legged play-off to Sweden, meaning the four-time world champions will miss an edition of the tournament for the first time since 1958.
The experienced Spalletti is not interested in the job at this stage of his managerial career - but he believes Ancelotti, who is out of work after being sacked by Bayern Munich earlier this season, would be the ideal man to fill the vacancy.
"I want and have to work well for Inter," the 58-year-old told Inter's official website ahead of Sunday's home Serie A game against Atalanta.
"For the future, I could see Ancelotti doing well, he has the charisma and experience, while everyone is aware of his work. You need to aim for the best and he is the best.”
While the inquest into Italy's shortcomings will run deeper than just identifying the right candidate to take charge, Spalletti has warned against making major changes in the aftermath of one disappointing qualification campaign.
“The Azzurri must not hide from the disappointment linked to the national team, on the contrary they need a reaction," he said.
"We must not have weaknesses in terms of character. We must react.
"Our footballing style has value and there is no need to copy other models. You only need to look at our past."
