Italy have reappointed Roberto Mancini as head coach of the men’s national team, bringing back the UEFA Euro 2020-winning manager after a turbulent search for a successor to Gennaro Gattuso.
The appointment comes a day after Andrea Pirlo withdrew from the race for the position following controversy surrounding his links to a Russian betting company. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) also confirmed that Claudio Ranieri will replace Paolo Maldini as technical director after Maldini resigned from the role.
“I believed that the best person to become head coach was Roberto Mancini,” FIGC president Giovanni Malago said.
Mancini returns after two-year absence
Mancini, 61, previously managed Italy from 2018 to 2023, guiding the Azzurri to victory at UEFA Euro 2020, where they defeated England in the final at Wembley Stadium.
During his first spell, Italy also set a world-record 37-match unbeaten run. However, his tenure ended on a disappointing note after the team failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, losing to North Macedonia in a play-off before his resignation in August 2023.
His return follows another difficult period for Italy, who also failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, extending the country’s absence from football’s biggest tournament to three consecutive editions. The four-time world champions have not appeared at a World Cup finals since Brazil 2014.
World Cup disappointment
Gattuso stepped down in April after Italy’s latest World Cup qualification failure, with both parties agreeing to terminate his contract.
Former Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini subsequently took charge on an interim basis while the federation searched for a permanent replacement.
Pirlo was widely expected to be appointed before withdrawing from consideration. Reports in Italy indicated the federation had also explored the possibility of appointing Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, although neither move materialised.
The decision not to appoint Pirlo also led to the resignation of Maldini, who had been appointed technical director only two weeks earlier, along with adviser Leonardo.
Successful club career
Mancini returns to the Italy bench with one of the strongest coaching resumes in European football.
He guided Manchester City to their first Premier League title in 2012 and won three Serie A titles with Inter Milan. He also lifted the Coppa Italia with both Inter and Lazio, and managed Galatasaray and Zenit St Petersburg before taking over the Italian national team in 2018.
Following his departure from Italy, Mancini had a brief spell in charge of Saudi Arabia before joining Qatari club Al Sadd.
At Al Sadd, he won the Qatar Stars League title but the club fell short in continental competition, failing to reach the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite and losing the Qatar Cup final. He left the club in June.
Focus on Nations League
Mancini’s first assignment will be Italy’s UEFA Nations League campaign.
The Azzurri will host Belgium on 25 September before travelling to face Turkey three days later.
Beyond the Nations League, Mancini’s primary objective will be rebuilding Italy into a competitive force capable of qualifying for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, ending a run that has seen one of football’s most successful nations miss the last three editions of the tournament.
