Stand-in boss Luigi di Biagio has thanked his players for their commitment during "a fantastic 10 days" for the Italy national side.

The Azzurri followed up a battling 2-0 defeat to Argentina with a 1-1 draw against England at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Di Biagio has been tasked with starting a rebuilding process following the disappointment of missing out on a place at the World Cup for the first time since 1958, and is now a contender to succeed Gian Piero Ventura permanently.

Speaking to reporters after his side's draw in London, Di Biagio - promoted from the Under-21s setup - admitted that he is hopeful of a better future for the four-time world champions.

"I'm still disappointed we lost on Friday, we deserved more, and I would have been disappointed to lose today as we played well and played with personality at Wembley, which is never easy," he said.

"It's been a fantastic 10 days. They all gave me all they could and I thanked them for their commitment. Everyone is talking about who the manager is going to be but that's not the problem. I don't know if I'll be there for the next game but that's not the problem.

"This group of players are Italy. They are very good, not as bad as people say, and they need to know that. They can improve and do well, whether it's with me or not I'm not concerned about at the moment."

Italian Football Federation vice-commissioner Alessandro Costacurta has set a date of May 20 for the announcement of Italy's new manager.