Roberto Mancini has been appointed as Italy manager for a second time, returning to lead the Azzurri following a dramatic week of upheaval within the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The 61-year-old’s appointment comes just one day after Andrea Pirlo withdrew from contention for the role, while technical director Paolo Maldini resigned amid growing tensions behind the scenes.
Italy were left searching for a new head coach after Gennaro Gattuso departed in April following the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive FIFA World Cup.
Pirlo had been widely expected to take charge but pulled out of the running after controversy surrounding his links to a Russian betting company.
FIGC president Giovanni Malago welcomed Mancini’s return, saying:”I believed that the best person to become head coach was Roberto Mancini.”Meanwhile, former Leicester City title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri has been appointed as the new technical director, replacing Maldini.
Maldini, who had only been in the technical director role for two weeks, resigned alongside adviser Leonardo after the federation decided against appointing Pirlo as Italy’s new manager.
The departures mark another turbulent chapter for Italian football as the national team attempts to rebuild following years of disappointment on the international stage.
Mancini previously managed Italy between 2018 and 2023, overseeing one of the most successful periods in the country’s recent history.
His greatest achievement came when Italy won UEFA Euro 2020, defeating England on penalties at Wembley Stadium to lift the European Championship.
During his first spell, Mancini also guided the Azzurri to a world-record 37-match unbeaten run.
However, that success was overshadowed by Italy’s shock failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a play-off defeat to North Macedonia, leading to his resignation in August 2023.
Italy’s absence from this summer’s World Cup followed another unsuccessful qualification campaign, bringing Gattuso’s tenure to an end by mutual consent.
Remarkably, despite winning Euro 2020, Italy have not appeared at a FIFA World Cup since 2014, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing Mancini in his second spell.
Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini had been serving as interim manager before the federation confirmed Mancini’s return.
Before returning to the Italy job, Mancini enjoyed a successful club management career, winning Manchester City’s first Premier League title in 2012.
He also lifted multiple domestic trophies with Inter Milan and Lazio, including three Serie A titles and Coppa Italia triumphs, while later managing Galatasaray, Zenit St Petersburg, Saudi Arabia’s national team and Qatari champions Al Sadd.
Although he guided Al Sadd to the Qatar Stars League title, the club fell short in the AFC Champions League Elite and lost the Qatar Cup final before Mancini departed in June.
⁸Mancini’s second spell in charge begins with Italy’s UEFA Nations League campaign, as the Azzurri host Belgium on 25 September before travelling to face Turkey three days later.