Donadoni leaves Italy post

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has left the post after the Italian Football Federation opted not to extend his contract.

A brief statement on the official website, www.FIGC.it, read: "President Abete today met with national coach Roberto Donadoni in the FIGC headquarters.

"In the course of the meeting, as already announced, they reviewed the work carried out in the last two years and how the European Championships had panned out.

"While confirming to Donadoni sincere personal admiration and appreciation for the reliability and skilled professional work which marked his time at the helm of the national side, president Abete also communicated to the coach the FIGC's decision not to renew the contract, which had run to its natural expiry date."

Donadoni signed a contract extension which ran until the conclusion of the 2010 World Cup shortly before Euro 2008.

The new deal was a reward for the former AC Milan midfielder, who took over from Marcello Lippi two years ago.

However, the new contract included a reciprocal escape clause which could be put into effect within 10 days of Italy's exit from the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

And the FIGC have decided to act after the Azzurri went out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Spain on June 22.