Roberto Mancini has been reappointed as the manager of the Italian national team, aiming to steer the squad through a period of crisis. This marks Mancini's second tenure with the Azzurri, nearly three years after his previous departure.
Italian soccer federation president Giovanni Malagò announced Mancini's return on Tuesday. Claudio Ranieri will join the team as technical director, a position recently vacated by Paolo Maldini, who had held the role for just 16 days.
Mancini's initial period as Italy coach, from 2018 to 2021, saw the team achieve a world-record 37-match unbeaten run and win the Euro 2020 championship. However, the team subsequently failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, leading to significant upheaval within the federation.
Mancini unexpectedly resigned in August 2023 to manage Saudi Arabia's national team, a move that Malagò acknowledged was taken into consideration during the current appointment process. He later coached Al-Sadd in Qatar before parting ways last month.
The national team's struggles culminated in missing the World Cup for the third consecutive time. This led to the resignations of the FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and then-coach Gennaro Gattuso in April.
Luciano Spalletti had replaced Mancini in 2023 but was dismissed after a World Cup qualifier loss. Claudio Ranieri, who previously led Leicester City to a Premier League title, had declined an offer to manage the Azzurri last year before Gattuso was hired.
The federation had also considered other prominent figures, including Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, who both turned down offers. Andrea Pirlo was reportedly considered but was dropped due to political concerns over a sponsorship deal. Former Italy coach Antonio Conte was also in contention.
Mancini faces immediate challenges, with the team's next matches in the Nations League against Belgium, Turkey, and France in September and October. Malagò acknowledged the short preparation time for the new coach, highlighting the strength of the upcoming opponents, all of whom participated in the recent World Cup.