Rangers fans could have been watching Francesco Farioli roam the Ibrox touchline instead of Michael Beale had things turned out differently.
The Daily Record claimed back in November that the 34-year-old wanted to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst in Glasgow, and was keen to be interviewed.
Eventually, Rangers decided to hire Michael Beale instead of Francesco Farioli, and the Italian could now end up at Sunderland as his reputation across Europe continues to rise.
Farioli now a wanted man after Rangers snub
Well, Rangers could look back at their decision to ignore Farioli with immense regret.
An update from talkSPORT claims that Sunderland are now considering a concrete move for the talented young coach after losing to Luton Town in the Championship Play-Off Semi-Final on Tuesday.
Tony Mowbray is said to be fighting for his job after the result.
It comes after Fabrizio Romano stated that Sunderland have made Farioli their No.1 target to replace the 59-year-old with clubs in Italy, Turkey and Portugal also keen to hire him.
Clearly, the Barga-born tactician is a man in demand.
Farioli is the youngest coach in the Turkish Süper Lig, and has attracted attention by implementing a similar style to Roberto De Zerbi, who he worked with at Sassuolo and Benevento, in which three central defenders lure opponents in before line-breaking passes are played into the gaps.
Of course, Beale is doing well at Ibrox since returning to replace Van Bronckhorst, and he cannot be properly judged until he has been able to put his stamp on the squad after the summer transfer window.
However, if things turn sour next season, and Farioli follows in the footsteps of managers like Vincent Kompany by impressing in the Championship, some may question why Rangers didn’t pursue the Italian’s signature.
Ultimately, that isn’t worth thinking about right now as it’s entirely hypothetical, but it is certainly something to keep an eye on in the 2023/24 campaign.
