Roberto Mancini back in charge of the Azzurri
The Italian Football Federation announced that former coach Roberto Mancini will be leading Italy’s national team for a second time, following the resignation of technical director Paolo Maldini and the withdrawal of Andrea Pirlo, who stepped out after a scandal involving a Russian betting company.
Gennaro Gattuso was forced to leave his role in April when the Azzurri failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. The FIGC has now turned to Mancini, who won Euro 2020 in 2021 and steered the squad to a world‑record 37‑game unbeaten run.
Mancini’s return comes as Italy prepare to commence their Nations League campaign. The team will host Belgium on 25 September, before travelling to Turkey three days later.
The decision to re‑appoint Mancini follows a short‑lived stint as the Saudi Arabia national team and a spell with Qatari club Al Sadd, where he won the Qatar Stars League but failed to reach the AFC Champions League Elite final four.
The move also follows the resignation of Paolo Maldini, who had been appointed as technical director only two weeks prior, and his adviser Leonardo. Claudio Ranieri, famed for winning the Premier League with Leicester City, will replace Maldini in the technical director role.
Sources show that before the Pirlo controversy, the FIGC had approached high‑profile figures such as Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti for the coaching position. With Mancini returning, Italy hope to restore stability and bring the team back to World Cup contention.
