Mancini Reappointed Italy Manager

Roberto Mancini has been appointed as the manager of the Italy national football team for a second time. This appointment follows a period of upheaval, including Andrea Pirlo withdrawing his candidacy for the position and technical director Paolo Maldini resigning from his role.

Context of the Appointment

Gennaro Gattuso departed as Italy's head coach in April after the team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Andrea Pirlo had been considered a likely successor but withdrew his name from consideration on Monday, citing controversy surrounding his connections to a Russian betting company. Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malago stated that Roberto Mancini was considered the most suitable candidate for the head coach role.

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Claudio Ranieri is set to take over as technical director, replacing Paolo Maldini. Maldini, who had been appointed to the technical director position just two weeks prior, along with adviser Leonardo, resigned following the decision not to appoint Pirlo. The BBC World reported that Maldini's departure occurred amidst chaos.

Mancini's Previous Tenure and Other Candidates

Mancini, aged 61, previously managed the Italian national team from 2018 until 2023, during which time they won Euro 2020. His previous tenure also included a world-record 37-game unbeaten run, but the team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, leading to his resignation in August 2023. Prior to Pirlo's withdrawal, the FIGC had approached Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti regarding the vacant manager position.

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Italy's failure to qualify for the current summer's World Cup, following a play-off defeat to North Macedonia, marked their absence from the tournament for the third time in a row. This outcome also led to the termination of Gennaro Gattuso's contract in April by mutual agreement. Silvio Baldini, the Under-21 manager, had served as temporary head coach after Gattuso's departure.

Mancini has a notable coaching history, having led Manchester City to their first Premier League title in 2012. He also achieved success with Lazio and Inter Milan, securing Coppa Italia titles with both clubs and three Serie A titles with Inter. His international coaching experience includes spells with Galatasaray and Zenit St Petersburg before his initial appointment with Italy. After leaving the Italian national team, he managed the Saudi Arabia national team briefly before joining Qatari side Al Sadd, from which he departed in June.

Upcoming Fixtures

The Italian national team is scheduled to commence their Nations League campaign on 25 September with a home match against Belgium. This will be followed by an away fixture against Turkey three days later.